The Path
by Melesifant
Summary: Tarrant is deathly ill and Mirana can do no more for him. Alice has finished all the adventures for her in her own world. Once again Underland reaches out to pull her into it and it's twisted life, and nothing remaines to pull her back out! TarrantxAlice
1. Chapter 1

Suppressed Memories

She was done. Closing the log laying heavily on her desk, with a satisfied sigh, Alice had finished what she had set out to do. It had taken nearly 6 years but she had surpassed her late fathers dreams and extended his trade route all the way to china, and done so successfully. Pushing back the chair she walked over to the the ancient globe spinning it ideally and watching as it spun wildly. Instead of feeling complete though she felt empty.

Looking in her mirror she didn't look much different then she had the day she had laid out her plan to her fathers old friend and colleague. Her hair rarely worn up anymore, fell around her face an shoulders. It was a waste of time to try to tame it, her hair had a mind of it's own and her fine strands always ended up escaping even the most elaborate style. She gathered it up into a messy bun in the back to better study her reflected features.

There were no wrinkles marking time across her visage yet, but they would come, especially since her daydreams and musings made her smile frequently. Her eyes looked a little tired, dark under the lid. Sleep would fix that though she hoped. Her clothing was the biggest difference. She had embraced the "eccentric" title she had earned that day Hamish had asked for her hand. No matter what she did to upend the laws of propriety now people just tittered and whispered it was her "eccentricity". She wore Light grey trousers and a white blouse with a light blue vest and tie. It was a gentleman's attire if not for the color and fit. Her mother had a small conniption when she first saw her youngest child's new style, it was leaps past refusing to wear a corset and stockings. But on the ships and in her line of work a dress just was not an option.

Those tired Sapphire colored eyes drifted down from the mirror to the collection of pictures at the thought of her mother. A gilded frame on the mantle held a picture of Alice sitting next to her. An image caught just weeks before Helen Kingsley had followed her husband to their eternal reward. Farther down the ledge was a double frame holding an image of each of her late parents. She touched each softly. It wasn't that she hadn't accepted the loss of her parents, so what was it making her long for something so much? It wasn't her sister. She and her family were happy as was possible, living in town and traveling with the income they earned with their share of the business. If anything happened to Alice her sister wold receive all her estate, but they had drifted apart as was inevitable she thought with her traveling all over the world.

Perhaps it was that she was rather alone now. Only the business had mattered for these last few years, and now that it was established she had nothing to move on to.. No more adventures. There she had come to it. Her days of adventure were at an end, she had nothing but monotony and normalcy and all of it terribly alone. She spun around with a huff and spun the globe again, harder then necessary and crossed her arms to watch it spin fast around in its confined orbit...

Tap...tap...tap...

Alice spun to the door at the knock. Whoever could be at the door at this hour? She walked over to the solid wood entryway "Hello?" but silence was all the reply she received. She leaned an ear to the wood and listened. Was that movement she heard? the soft sounds of feet moving impatiently? or was she listening too hard and hearing what her brain thought she should? This was silly, she wasn't some scared little girl to be frightened of the dark and sounds. Steeling herself she took a deep breath and pressed her foot against the door she opened a few inches to look out. Nothing was out there.

Huffing she locked her office door again and gathered her belongings to go home. She had gone too long without sleep yet again. That was the only explanation for it. If she continued on like that she was going to go Mad...She glanced back at the photo of her father sitting on the mantle. Not that being mad was a bad thing, in her experience all the best people were! Her father, herself, and... funny who had she been about to say? As soon as her mind had moved on to that last thing it had fogged over...That happened to her so often the last few years..

"Curiouser and curiouser.."

The streets were dark, lit only by the gas street lamps that lined the roads. There was just too much dark for the struggling flames to fight off. Silence and wind swirled around her, the only traveler this late. She stopped in front of the local hatters, as had been her habit for years now. She stopped every day and looked in the window even though she never saw anything that caught her fancy. Looking through the imperfect glass she glanced at all the hats in the window. Every one of them the height of fashion for the season, everyone of them typical and unimaginative. Even the warps in the glass's distortion of the shapes didn't make them anymore unique. As she frowned at the frilly productions her eyes caught a movement to the left, down the direction she was going.

Instinct took over, and Alice fell back, however instead of a cower it was a fighting stance. Her hands moved pushing her purse up on her back arm, and her front arm took a strong hold on her umbrella as if it were a weapon most deadly. Eyes narrowed scanning the walk, she walked forward silently ready to strike out at any moment. Reaching the end of the storefront she drew in a breath of the chill air before jumping out into the ally to face... a dark empty ally..

"Alice you are finally going round the bend. And what were you going to do beat an assailant to death with your purse?" She rebuked herself. As if she could defend herself. She'd never been in any situation which would call for her to defend herself. And if that were true then why had she taken that stance and why had she acted defensively instead of running? Shaking her head she pushed a loose lock of hair out of her face and started forward again hurrying home before anything else strange could come along.

Finally home and in her dressing gown, Alice was busy making a pot of tea when she heard her townhouse's door open and shut. Edging up to the doorway she peeked stealthily around the door frame into the entrance. To her surprise all she saw was the back of a white rabbit and a blue butterfly. "What in heavens name?" She walked into the foyer slowly so as not to startle the two creatures. It was far to early in the year for either of them to be out and around in London. To her surprise when she spoke the two turned to look at her. The white rabbit was wearing a blue waist coat, and both he and the butterfly had expressions that were far to keen for an animal..And the expression was panicked and intent.

"Alice! you must come with us again!" The little white rabbit said. Alice fell to her knees and just starred at the two.

"Come with you? again? What do you mean by that?" Alice looked at the two with a dazed expression.

"I told you she would have forgotten everything. She is a foolish girl all over again." the blue butterfly flapped his wings a bit more violently then was necessary in irritation.

Alice's brow furrowed as she listened to the insult. She opened her mouth to retort when the rabbit turned to the butterfly

"How is it she keeps forgetting? I understood it the first time but to do it again?"

"I can only assume it is either her weakness of mind protecting her as she returns to this dim existence, or there was something to the Jabberwocky's blood that brought her back. Nothing from that creature could be good."

Tired of being talked about as if she wasn't there in her own home Alice straightened up. "Pardon me, but who are you two and why do you feel you have the right to speak so condescendingly of me in my presence no less?"

The rabbit starred at her intently. "She hasn't lost her muchness at least." he whispered aside to his companion. "Alice we need your help! The Hatter needs you most desperately!"

"...Hatter..." she breathed the word softly, her eyes clouded as hidden memories fought to surface.

Flicking his delicate blue wings the butterfly nodded. "Little consolation there. We don't have time for this mess again." He fanned his wings and flew right at Alice and landed on her nose. When he touched down she gasped with shock and her mind exploded into fractions of color, light, and suppressed memories.


	2. Chapter 2

Reeling Alice knelt on the floor, her thoughts swirling with her fogged over memories washed clean and then snapped into place. What had happened? Why had she forgotten them all over again...Why had she forgotten him? She had promised she would never forget him.. The hatter..Wait what had Mctwisp said? Pressing her hand to her forehead to fight the dizzy rejoining of memories Alice opened her eyes to look at Absolem and Mctwisp. "What did you say? The hatter...Hatter is in trouble?"

"Ahh Alice, so glad you could join us again.." the sarcasm dripped thickly from the elegant butterfly, in an ironic way that was his way though.

"Not now." she pointed a firm hand at the butterfly which wasn't as easy as it sounded. His flight didn't hold him in one place so her finger moved to follow. Then she turned her attention to the rabbit. He was more straight forward, she would get the info she sought clearly and faster from him.

"What's happened to the Hatter?" Nivens fidgeted with his paws, he was typically high strung but with the urgency of his mission and the full force of Alice's stare, he was on the verge of hyperventilating. Taking a breath of her own, she crawled closer to the rabbit and placed a comforting hand on his paws. "Slow down...breath.." she whispered to him.

McTwisp took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ok now try again. No hurry." she said the words though she felt the exact opposite. Even with this little bit of guidance thrown in she knew it was still quicker to talk to the rabbit. Silly riddling butterfly.

"The Hatter.. He, well he's been poisoned." he raised his pink eyes from the floor to look at Alice. She had gone pale, she didn't even seem to be breathing.

"You don't mean the mercury do you?" she finally asked. He shook his head regretfully.

Whether it was his dislike of being silence and ignored, or that he actually knew more she would never know but Absolem chose then to speak up. "No it was something quite more noxious. It's rather far along now, we didn't notice in time."

"What? Why didn't you notice?" Anger tinted the worry in her voice. She turned her eyes to blue butterfly again.

"When you left, he changed. He was wilder, madder at times, and silent and lost at others. When he became increasingly more silent we thought he was just in the depression stage of his mourning. By the time we realized it was more then that, he was near unconscious."

Horror seeped through Alice as his words entered her. No! This couldn't be... The horror wasn't just about the Hatter's current condition, it was about what she had done to him. She had left him, wounded so bad that no one could tell he was dyeing. Swallowing the acid guilt had risen in her she took two deep breaths.

"How bad is he now?"

He shook his little blue head, and even his wings seemed to move in sad slow motion. "He is unconscious. We have no indication that he can hear us or understand. He just lays there."

"The White Queen! Can't she help him? She specializes in potions and healing-"

Mctwisp cut her off. "She can't figure out what the poison was.. It's nothing from Underland. It came from your world."

Her lungs wouldn't work. She couldn't make them move, there were no calming breaths to be taken now. It was their turn to calm her, Absolem lit upon her shoulder, and Nivens rubbed her hands with his soft touch. When air came it was in gasps, large gulps forced though a throat that didn't want to open.

"How...I can't... What..." words slipped through between air. Her eyes flew between her two friends, finishing questions her voice couldn't complete. How could she heal something the Queen couldn't? She had hurt him, left him, forgotten him... If she would have stayed this wouldn't have happened, she knew it. She had abandoned him and now she may not be getting the chance to find him again.

Tears fell from her lashes to sparkle down her cheeks. She curled her fingers into fists, feeling the wood under her nails and clawing harder still. Grasping for strength. Shaking her head she looked up at Mctwisp. "Take me to him. Please.. Now.."

Looking at Absolem for confirmation he nodded. Alice scrambled up in a most inelegant fashion and they made their way out into the night, to the rabbit hole that had taken her to Underland twice already. The thick darkness that had surrounded her on the streets earlier was nothing compared to the wooded area free of lamps. Even the moon and stars had given up the battle to light London tonight. She was more glad then ever that she wasn't wearing a dress, moving through the underbrush wouldn't have been near as quick. Even her trouser legs were being caught my clinging thorns and twigs.

Absolem stayed perched on her shoulder, having to flatten out a few times to get under limps that Alice had dodged and Nivens ran ahead. His pure white fur stood out more clearly then anything in the night, making it easy for her to follow behind him. He leaped and dodged through fallen trees and bushes, finding the easiest path for her. It was a long distance to that old tree with the hole in it's roots but to take a carriage or such would have raised questions. This way she would disappear without a trace. It was taking so long to get there though.. and every moment taken was one more where 'He' was alone and hurting. Quickening her pace she moved closer to the rabbit silently urging him on.

The huge old tree loomed on the horizon, drawing her like a beacon to it. She ran now, praying her ankles would stay strong and not twist. The gate was so jarring Absolem had decided flying was a preferable course. Watching she saw McTisp disappear from sight, knowing he had gone down the hole and she was right behind him. She hardly paused as she got to the lip, and fell freely through.

The fall was marginally less frighting now that she remembered surviving it as a child and just a few years ago, but it still caused her pulse to fly and her to tense. This time she didn't try to catch onto any of the random objects, letting beds, bookcases, chairs, and the piano fly past. She couldn't see either of her companions, but she wasn't concerned. They knew the way better then her she was sure. She saw the bottom of the hole flying up at her and braced to break through, and land on the ceiling. She went feet first this time, keeping her knees loose. The plaster fell under her with little resistance. Then came the hardest part of the journey into Underland, The ceiling of the room of doors. She hit and rolled some to diminish the impact then waited for the next to come. When the world turned upside down and she fell to the floor, she was glad to be done with the falling.

Standing, she glanced swiftly around and found both the rabbit and the butterfly standing looking at her. "How...Oh never mind." Flipping her hair out of her face she walked to the table and looked for the key and pishsalver only to see it empty. She turned to Mctwisp who held up both. Smiling she knelt and took the little bottle and sipped carefully, re-corked the bottle and waited as she shrank to almost the rabbit's height. Gathering up her now too large clothing she looked at the other two travelers. " I truly wish that that worked on clothing." They all three chuckled a bit before their mission's weight sobered them. Mctwisp opened the door and all of them walked into the vibrant garden, where the flowers moved in the breeze and smiled and dragonflies and horseflies played tag.

Taking a deep breath she smiled softly. It was so good to be back. "Where is he at?" listening to her question she realized she had stopped saying his common name. It was 'He' now, because she didn't deserve to speak his name or title.

"He's in the castle at Marmoreal, he has quarters there as the court's Hatter. The queen watches over him." She nodded and followed behind him on their way.

As they walked Alice was brought to terms about things she wasn't so very fond of in Underland...Namely the very haughty talking flowers.

"Well would you look at her!" a very pretty rose said.

"She looks as if she is wilting doesn't she?" A little pansy spoke this time. Alice gathered her clothing around her in a bit of a huff.

"She isn't even properly dressed! She's wearing men's clothing. The girl has gone quite as mad as the Hatter." The rose leaned down to whisper to the pansy but Alice could it seem hear better then the flora assumed. She quickened her pace again to create distance between them swiftly.

"Don't take it to heart my dear. You know how insulting those flowers are. As if you were mad." smiling encouragingly McTwisp patted her shoulder.

A sad smile attempted to pull at the corners of her lips. "No, I'm not mad." she looked away and whispered softly. "All the best people are."

When the white towers of the castle of Mamoreal imposed upon the sky with their height in front of her she nearly cried out in joy. She was here, and her dear friend was only hallways and stairways away at most. Of course she realized later being that hopeful was near naive in this castle. As Mctwisp and Absolem tried to take her to the Hatter, the Queen's courtiers appeared demanding a formal greeting and introduction to the court. Setting her lips in a tight sever line Alice fought the urge to yell at them. She followed the mass of useless nobles to the throne room where Mirana sat. It bothred Alice that she was here sitting on her fancy chair instead of by 'His' sickbed. Her head told her that she coudn't be there all the time, she had to run the land, but it did little to calm her heart. One thing was sure and that was that she wouldn't leave his side.

The White Queen took one look at Alice and her smile grew, becoming a genuine thing as opposed to the one for appearance sake she usually wore. She wasn't sure how she did it, it was surely a tiring thing, probably hurt her cheeks. Mirana rose and flowed gracefully the distance between them, and kneeling embraced the small Alice. A moment of shock was all that held her own arms at her side, but as it diminished she hugged the queen back.

"I'm so very glad you have returned my friend." The pale lady with the dark lips spoke the words softly, not projecting to the court. For which her friend was very glad.

Tears threatened Alice's eyes again. "Thank you, sorry I've been gone so very long...my friend."

The queen gave a quick squeeze and then released Alice. "Will someone open up Alice's rooms and her wardrobe?" Glancing behind her she spoke "Thackery, will you hurry to the kitchen and get her some Upelkuchen ?" Looking around the queen's skirt she watched as the March Hare bounded away back toward the Kitchens.

"No hurled tea cups?" shock kept her voice low.

The queen looked down at her with a face that showed that she was about to make news that was very bad, as little bad as possible. Alice gasped in a few breaths quickly.

"He has been quite tame as of late, over concern for Tarrant, that's all." It was quite clear that the queen wasn't making eye contact. Over concern Alice's left shoe! She nodded anyway.

Gathering up her vest, blouse and trousers, she looked up at Mirana. "Queen-"

"Alice you needn't use my title. Mirana is fine."

Blinking in shock Alice tried again. "um.. Mirana I would rather get right to his side.. Once I get back to my normal size, of course."

The queen smiled and nodded. "Your room is adjoined to his quarters. You can change and be by his side in no time. I just left him moments before you entered, Alice. He is sleeping peacefully."

The march hare came thundering back into the room, with the small cake on a plate in his grasp. Alice flinched and almost ducked when he skidded to a halt offering the cake up to her. He was just a little taller then her and the white rabbit she noticed as she regarded him carefully looking for her friend in him. There was a bit of tension around his eyes, and he seemed too anxious. Maybe that was a little bit of him escaping this controlled persona. Just to be safe she took the cake and plate from him, leaving him nothing visible to hurl at her head. She took a very small bite of the beautiful little treat. It seemed that she was finally getting the hang of the shrinking and growing game. She filled her clothing back up perfectly and now was almost eye to eye with the queen.

Straightening her vest she smiled. "I'd like to go see him now." Her friends all exchanged glances before the queen nodded and motioned gracefully for the march hare to guide her. He scuffled toward the room's large doors leading out into the hall and staircases. He moved with a strange mix between hoping and walking, a pace Alice had to strain to match. Silence was all they shared for two staircases and one long white hallway.

"I'm so sorry..." she whispered.

Stopping he turned and looked at her "You left, you did what you had to. I'm not mad at ye, I'm concerned for him." his accent was still thick and he starred at her a little more intently then most, but he wasn't as wild as she remembered. She knew the two teapartiers had fed each others madness but she would never have expected this.

He stopped at a pair of double doors, the wood a beautiful white, like everything in this castle. On a golden plate was one simple word 'Hatter'. Funnily she had always expected a warning sign to be posted near anywhere the red headed man would call his. She placed a trembling hand on the right side door handle, and looked back at the Hare. "Go ahead, lass."

Preparing herself for the worst, she turned the handle slowly and walked into the room. It was an expansive area with vibrant colors on all surfaces. One would never imagine them going together and creating harmony, but it did. She wondered if it was because she knew the mind that had created it, that made it beautiful, or if anyone would look at the varied pallet and see something was a large room full of his tools of trade, sitting areas and a table and chairs. Leading off of that were what she thought were smaller areas like closets and bathrooms. Hats littered the room, some on props, a couple hung from chandeliers, most were on tables and chairs. Every single one was a work of art, what she had been seeking in that boring shop as she walked by daily, was rampant here. Her fingers brushed against fabrics, feathers, and leather. He was a master at his craft, no one could ever deny him that.

Moving through such a lively room with a crushing silence hanging in the air should have told her that she was nothing close to prepared for what awaited ahead of her. The splendor of color and creativity distracted her from the ominous quiet. Venturing into the back of the main room she looked for where his bed would be. It was clearly not in the main room, so it would have to be behind on of the doors. The first door she opened was in the back, she was drawn to it. When it clicked open she poked her blond head in to be met with darkness and the sound of breathing. It wasn't pitch dark, a lamp was burning low. She was sure this was the bedchamber, by the breathing. Encouraged she hurried to lamp to turn up the light, so she could see him. As she wound the wick up she truly listened and took in what she heart. Slow shallow gasps echoed through the room, making the warmth of the lamp shrink as cold fear gripped her. She was afraid to turn around and know how bad he was, she was naive now setting on that verge where knowledge was waiting and you knew it was going to hurt.

The want to run as fast as she could away gripped her, her legs even tensed in preparation. "NO!" she admonished herself and the flight response. "You will not abandon him again." Taking control of her fear she embraced the coldness and turned it from fear to strength. The strength to do what must be done no matter how much it hurt. Measuring her breaths she turned and looked at the face that the light fell across on the bed, and felt the warm tears fall. The only weakness she would allow of herself until she helped him back.


	3. Chapter 3

Even the warm golden light from the lamp did nothing to add life to the form laying in the bed. To call this poor wretch Tarrant Hightopp the White Queen's Hatter would be blasphemy any other time. That was who it was though, and the sorrow that embraced Alice from that fact burned. His hair was still red, the color still spilled from his eyes, but the colors were off, dimmed like the soul they clothed, thick and muddy instead of bright and flamboyant. Her mother had looked more alive in the pine box at her funeral. Always so pale complected, there was no color to his skin now. Just dark sunken features, and closed eyes. She was tempted to lift his lids and see if the brilliant Tsavorite colored eyes were still the same, she felt the need to search out something that was the same as the man she remembered. But she couldn't bring herself to do anything that may cause him discomfort. There was a beautiful blue velvet chair in the room, similar to his chair at the head of the tea-party table but a lighter shade of blue.. Come to think of it there was a lot of this shade of blue strewn through the brighter colors. That was neither here nor there. Pulling the chair up to his bedside she reached up and took his right hand from the bed next to him into her own small hands. It was cool to the touch, but not stiff as she feared. That was a small comfort. It fit into her hold with such ease she wondered if he had moved it.

Leaning down she whispered "I'm here. I'm not leaving... so please don't leave me this time." into his ear. Her heart jolted at the lack of response. She knew better then to expect it, but her emotional side couldn't help but wish for him to just jump up. Sniffling a little bit to fight the tears, she got out of the chair and sat next to him on the bed, leaned down and rested her head on his chest. It was originally done to comfort her but he was so cold, and she could hear his heart beat. ba-bump...ba-bump... it was so slow! And the whisper of air in and out, echoed around inside creating almost a slow sad song with the heart. What could make those vital life givers slow so much? A poison from her world... It could be anything or nothing she could think of. If it wasn't from Underland though she was the only one that had a chance of discovering it.

"This is impossible..." She tilted her head to look at the face of the faded man in the bed. "I know what you would say, the same thing you did that day on the battlefield. 'Only if you believe it is.' But how many impossible things can one girl hope to accomplish? Would you have an answer to that?" She nestled her head onto his chest again. He was so cool to the touch... Maybe there was a fireplace in the room, between the lamp chair and 'him' she hadn't seen anything in this room. Slowly separating from him, regrettably, she sat up and looked around, taking in this room as she had the last. The same wild abandon of color collided here, there were no hat's in this besides his own. It was beautiful still, no matter how singed. She ran a reverent finger over the dark green fabric, then rubbed the salmon sash through her fingertips. Here was some part of the character she remembered. The feel of it in her grasp helped to sooth her a little bit. Then over to the side she saw what she was after. A large bricked fireplace with a white mantle, a bit of the queen's style set off by his colorful wild style. There was already some wood chopped at the side and some kindling. Feeling at least moderately useful she knelt on the hearth and started working on a fire that could warm the whole room.

The wood was dry and well seasoned and a warm fire wasn't hard to work up. It's heat rolled in waves out into the bedroom. Hands on her hips with satisfaction she spun around. It felt good to do something constructive, and she was going to take that boost and use it to help him, only to seem him convulsing in the bed. His body was making horrible jerking motions over and over again and his arms flailed violently. As she paused in shock she heard the sound of his shallow breaths catching in his throat as a gurgling wheezing escaped his lips.

Crying out she ran toward the bed, stumbling over the chair leg, and lept onto the bed. Alice had never been much of a medical mind but she had once heard that it was beneficial to turn a seizing person on their side. Though he wasn't a big man by any means he was still considerably larger then she. Placing hands at his shoulder and hip, and using her knee, she pushed at the dead shaking weight. Desperation and fear pumped adrenaline though her helping her summon the strength necessary. Once he was up on his side she wrapped her self around him, using her body as a wedge to keep him propped up and her embracing limbs to fight the jerking.

Alice didn't realize till people came rushing into the room that she was screaming. As they came flooding in she could suddenly hear herself yell over and over. Fighting the urge to scream back sobs took over and racked her body so bad that those rushing in couldn't tell who was in the most trouble. Footmen tried to pull her from the Hatter, so the queen could get something into him to calm his quaking. When she started to scream again but with shrill and blood curdling sounds and started clawing to get back to him, they quickly abandoned the idea. A level gaze from Mirana was able to quiet her and calmed her to the point she sat behind him one hand resting on his, merely sobbing.

Mctwisp appeared from the crowd of people Alice didn't know and climbed up to sit next to her and hold her free hand. She felt warmth from the other side and glanced to see Chess materialize. He wasn't smiling, and his gaze was hard causing sudden inspiration to lite up her mind. "You know who did this." the statement hung in the air as she turned from him to watch as the queen was able to get a swirling elixir into the hatter. She could feel the shaking slow and then stop, allowing her to sigh.

"I may have a theory, but this isn't the time nor the place." He rubbed against her arm, and drifted up into the air. "I'll be around, if you have need of me." He offered her a small version of his famous smile now, and as the rest of him ghosted away he left that wicked grin to linger a moment behind. He also left no doubt now that she would be needing the infuriating cat in the near future. She squeezed Mctwisp's paw and smiled though her tears at him.

"What caused that?" She was so hoping it wasn't the warmth from the fire. Looking to the elegant healer for answers Alice held the lady's dark eyes.

"It's another symptom of the poison... He's had a sick stomach, hallucinations, abdominal pain, leading up to this state... this is just the latest symptom in the list."

Alice sat silently looking at Mirana and blinking. Then narrowed her eyes. "How could all those things happen to him and no one notice?"

Looking away and at the ground the queen's only answer was "we didn't have the chance." as she stood and left, to be followed by all the others in the room besides Alice, Tarrant, and Nivens.

"I don't understand." she turned to Nivens. "How could no one catch this?"

His response was similar to the queens. He looked down and shrugged.

"I'LL TELL YOU HOW!" A small yet strong voice echoed through the room. Alice and the rabbit startled at the sudden unexpected declaration.

"Who?" She looked around to see where the voice came from.

Mallymkin climbed up the bedspread to stand on the bed. For a moment Alice wondered why they were all still on the bed, holding 'him' on his side. Rubbing his held hand with her thumb, she squared herself to face the fierce little mouse. "Please do."

'

Watching as Mally's hand stretched and brushed the handle of her hat pin sword, she hoped that it was a nervous habit. She wasn't keen on bleeding at the doormouse's hand again. The small hand passed the sword and instead landed on her hip. The other pointed an accusatory finger at Alice.

"You! You are the reason none of us knew what was happening."

"Nivens and Absolem already told me-"

"Oh I'm sure they told you something, but I know they sugar coated the truth so you could swallow it without to much self hatred. You left him and he became madder. Then he started to withdrawal from all of us! Even Thackary and me. We couldn't tell what he was going through because we never got to see him! We heard him talking to you though you gone, so we knew he was hallucinating. After that since I'm small enough I started to sneak in and check on him, so I know from watching him be ill and hold his middle while he grimaced in pain. Eventually all he was drinking was tea with herbs. When the yelling and talking to people that aren't there stopped I WAS SENT IN TO CHECK ON HIM AND I'M THE ONE THAT FOUND HIM IN HIS BED NOT WAKING UP! AND YOU KNOW WHAT ALICE? IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" The little mouse ended her tirade screaming at the blond woman holding her dyeing friend's hand.

"I'm so sor-"

"Save it. You find a way to save him, then I'll let you waste the time to apologize to me." Then she turned, jumped from the bed, and fled the room.

Alice starred after her silently, not even turning to Mctwisp when he squeezed her hand.

"She was the only girl in his life for ages. She's always been a bit jealous of your relationship with him." The attempt at comfort earned him a teary smile.

"You are all too kind to me. Mally is right. But I am going to fix all of this, I promise." she squeezed him back. "Go check on her, I'm fine...We'll be fine now."

Hesitating the rabbit looked back and forth between Alice and the door Mallymkin had vanished out of.

"If I can face down the jabberwocky, I can handle guilt my friend." she offered encouragingly. Mctwisp smiled softly at her and then turned to go comfort the doormouse.

When the door was shut and it was just the two of them, Alice started repositioning the hatter. She laid him back down flat and used the sleeve of her blouse to wipe some of Mirana's potion from the corner of his lips. "Your beautiful and loved by so many." She whispered softly to him caressing his face softly. He was still cool feeling, in-spite of all the excitement and the warm fire. Abandoning propriety yet again, she decided to lay next to him and offer him what heat she could. She stretched out on top of the covers and settled her ear on his chest so he could hear that he was in fact there and alive next to her, no matter how he looked.


	4. Chapter 4

The first day back in Underland had exhausted her. Between the trip to get here, the worry she held, and the Hatter's seizure, it seemed all of young woman's reserves were spent. Warm sunlight drifting in through the windows to fall in a golden wash across them didn't stir her. When Mirana came to check on them, she didn't even frown at the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor. The racket of a silver setting or the alluring smell of food and tea from it, didn't cause a twitch of her small button nose. No it seemed nothing could touch Alice in the recuperative trance she was in.

Nothing that is except for the man she had her head laying on moving. It wasn't a jerk, or even a startle. All he did was stretch slightly, when he did so his spine torqued and jostled her just the slightest bit. Her blue eyes flew open and she lifted up to watch him. Something was different about him but it was so small a change she couldn't even tell you what it was. He had moved, and somehow in some tiny way he looked better. A tightening in her chest she hadn't knows was there previously loosened just a little now. Allowing her to draw in nearly full breaths, instead of stunted inspirations somewhere close to pants. Like a weight lightened just enough she could stand it, but she was far from deep satisfied intakes.

Now that she was awake she could smell the alluring fragrance of hot tea, scrambled eggs and bacon. She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, pulling her tangle of wavy blond hair out of the way of her vision. Grace forgotten in the waking moments, though not her care for her patient, she clamored over top of him to slide off the bed. Her stomach growled at the promise of food, but she ignored it to pour a cup of tea and try to coax the hatter into taking it in. Gaining her previous place on the opposite side of the bed from the food she lifted his head into her lap to prop him up and dripped a couple warm drops of tea on to his dark lips. The amber liquid slid across the skin causing them to shine, Alice was entranced watching, then the lips opened slowly giving the drops an entrance to his mouth. Alice poured carefully allowing the liquid to flow down the side of his cheek and whispered words of approval into his ear as he swallowed. Getting something into him to cut the poison was a very good idea she thought.

The second visit from the queen came at this time. Moving stealthily in case they were still asleep, she was able to watch for a moment at the delicate care the young woman took in everything she did for the Hatter. She spilled small sips of tea into his mouth and waited patiently for every swallow. She would try occasionally to tame an unruly curly red lock of hair. Every motion was calm and sure, and inspiration took hold of the queen. If Alice was going to stay she would need a place in the kingdom, a role. Mirana decided then that she would train Alice as a healer and potionier, her apprentice of sorts. Keeping the girl close and increasing the chances of future events staying in hand.

Walking with the clicking clack of her heels she strode into the room, drawing Alice's attention from her ministrations. "It's good to see you awake. Why don't you take some time to attend to yourself and let us get him cleaned up." The girls blue eyes shifted between the queen and the hatter.

"I don't want to leave him till he's better." She said softly looking at the queen.

"That is easy to see. I'll make you a deal Alice, go take care of yourself, promise to keep doing so and I'll teach you everything I know about healing people."

Alice's eyes widened. In all honesty she wasn't concerned about helping anyone other then the man who's head rested in her lap. The dark part of her stirred in her mind mocking how all the queen's knowledge had done little for him so far. Shaking the thought from her head she nodded. Skills such as Mirana's where to be valued and she had kept him alive with no knowledge what was causing this for some time now.

Nodding her head she slowly moved his head back to the pillow and got off the bed. Walking up to the queen Alice felt her muchness flair around her and she looked the other woman squally in the eyes. "I'll agree, but you will have to teach me here. I'll only leave his side when necessary." The queen met the stare with soft brown eyes, trying to convey a message that it wasn't time for. For the first time since meeting the White Queen, a nagging sensation started in the back of Alice's mind. Something was not right in this castle, maybe in all of Underland. And it seemed that the man in the bed was there because of it. Eyes narrowed slightly, and now a steely blue, she watched as the queen's eyes averted and she went to tend to that poor soul. Turning to leave for her own room and make herself presentable Alice wondered just what was going on in Wonderland.

When she entered the neighboring quarters that were now hers she felt alone. The room was stark and unlived in, with the typical Marmoreal colors that felt cool and lifeless after leaving 'his' rooms. They were no longer innocent and elegant to her. Walking in front of the dressing table, a sad looking creature passed the mirror as she did. Caught off guard Alice walked back to confront the reflection. She looked every bit as worn as she had the last time she measured her appearance and then some. Worry and suspicion pulled her brows up and decorated her expression with a crease. Typically vivid blue eyes, were now icy and hard, was that from the lack of color around her, or the turmoil inside her? Her hair was in such disarray she wondered how she could ever tame it and attempted to rake her fingers through it trying to pull it into a pony tail, and wincing as snag her fingers met.

"You look an absolute mess." the reflected lips seemed to say the words as much as her own. She couldn't have all of Underland seeing her looking like this, and she wouldn't have him waking up to see this image either. She found the bathroom expansive and sterile looking, but the warm water that came out of the faucet was like heaven. It caressed her aching muscles, letting them un-nit, and brought the pink color back out in her skin. The collection of cuts and scrapes from her mad dash through the woods with Mctwisp and Absolem all stung wickedly. She accepted every one as yet another payment of penance to her sins upon this realm. They called her the champion and hero, but it seemed that killing the Jabberwocky was nothing now. She had saved them from their fears but what had caused such a change in everyone?

Getting out of the tub she grabbed a large fluffy white towel that smelled of lavender from the linen bar and wrapped around her figure, and just in the nick of time...Or not. Cheshire materialized floating above the vanity watching her.

"Would it hurt you at all to announce yourself? How long have you been here?"

The mysterious cat's toothy grin took on a evil glint as he spoke. "Longer then you would like, not nearly as long as I would. But that is neither here nor their Alice." He caressed her name in a verbal way making her glare at him disdainfully. "Don't worry my dear, I have no doubt in your power to bring Tarrant..."he paused for the slightest moment to watch her." back into himself, and I don't wish for him to be aiming to create another smile for me." he drew a finger across his throat in a very 'off with his head' fashion.

Tired of his frivolity at her expense she waved her hand at the floating cat and started to pull a silver hair comb through her wet tresses. He floated behind her in a barrel roll to her other side. "We have matters to discuss, and we need to do so soon." his grin was stunted as he said that and she cut her eyes over to him.

"I thought you made it a point never to get into politics." She stated his quote but with a question lilting to her voice.

"It won't be the first time I allowed myself to be drug into you affairs will it? I stood with you all at the battle." Anger didn't taint the words, he was just speaking truth.

"That is a fact. How is it you are so well informed now though?"

He melted into the bathroom and hazed into being over the mirror. "I'm not well informed on matters that concern you most but while I may not know the how I know the who."

Gaining her feet Alice toppled the chair to grasp at him, but missed as her fingers caught only mist. "Chess Please!"

When next she spied him he was floating quite out of reach. "I'll keep the information until you are ready for it. You have to focus on your current job before you go rushing off for revenge. You figure out the How and I'll give you the Who, no questions or riddles asked." He vanished for the last time now, she felt a cool brush across her cheek and held her hand to it but she would never be completely sure if she had imagined it or not.

Frustration and anger seized Alice and in a blind rage she hurled the silver comb at a wall where it crashed horrifically against the marble. Why was everything and everyone so infuriating to her today? Lack of sleep didn't seem like a suitable answer to that question. A growl nearing vocalization she stalked back into the bedroom to see that her trousers and other clothing had been collected, more then likely for the wash. Opening the wardrobe hopefully, her eyes were met with every color blue one could imagine in dresses of the most beautiful design. She ran soft fingers across them all feeling the lush fabrics and smiling. They were in fact beautiful and none of them looked like something to wear everyday, and nothing as comfortable as her trouser and vest. With a small grudge at returning to the proper she pulled a dress out of the back, much like what she had worn years ago upon her second visit to Underland. It was that same muted blue and it had simple lines and no over the top accents. As she held it she suddenly realized why the blue in quarters next to her was so familiar and the so familiar ache now living where her heart should be gave a particularly large twist.

The dress slipped on soft against her skin and it fit perfectly, as if someone had her there to size it...She didn't want to wonder at who had created it, but it was so lovely she even attempted to trap her hair in a fancy bun with ringlets. It would fall into disarray surely but the attempt to find the familiar in the reflection was necessary.

When she walked back into 'his' rooms she moved slowly, taking it all in and trying to find where everything was. toward the back room she saw a tea stand up against the wall. It had, and this shocked her, a lovely and MATCHING service set of china. White with little blue flowers on it that flowed in elegant patterns so lovely she had to pick up a cup and look closer at the intricate vines and leaves surrounding the flowers. Setting it down she found canisters with varying types of tea, sugar cubes, and a collection of silver. On the far side of the little table was a flowering plant with a mortar and pestle next to it. Frowning in confusion she picked up the stone basin and felt the bottom with a finger that came back with white powder.

"Mirana?" Her voice carried into the next room, a small bit of urgency in it hurrying the other woman's flowing steps.

Coming upon Alice holding the grinding instruments the fair lady frowned slightly. "What is so important about a simple mortar and pestle to make you sound so severe?"

Alice turned and offered the bowl to the more knowledgeable woman. "there is a white powder in the bottom of this...and it's right here with a tea set. Why?"

The queen took the bowl and sniffed carefully at it. A sweet fragrance wafted up to her, that of flowers. "He must use this to grind fresh ingredients for tea. He is quite found of it you know."

Irritation pushed Alice to nearly roll her eyes at the queen's so obvious statement. "Do you think he may have used this plant here then?" She touched the delicate petals of the bell shaped blooms that tumbled down upon each other on it's stem.

The queen looked at the petals, they were a light purple but when dried they could have produced a white powder after grinding. "Perhaps. This is his personal tea set, maybe he was making a tea with some special purpose..." She frowned as the blond girl grabbed up the pot and looked inside. It hadn't been washed but it was empty but for a dark stain. It hadn't been used in some days then. Frowning to each other they looked to the plant.

"Do you know what it is?" The question hung thick in the air as Mirana thought.

"It isn't a typical plant found in Underland, but it could be from Witzend, where the Hatter hails from."

Brown and blue eyes looked at each other.

"You don't think this is what's poisoned him do you?" The queen asked.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days the two women turned the sick man's room into an extra kitchen. Potion ingredients were strewn across every surface in a similar manner to the living room and it's many hats. At Alice's instance they started with Pishsalver and Upelkuchen, the two vexing creations had been far to much a part of her past not to have the ability to make her own when the chance came to learn. Of course Mirana agreed thinking that as good a start as any.

Hours were spent going over wonderland's vast array of plants, of which Mirana had correctly guessed did not include the mystery plant on the tea tray in the hall. Flowers, leaves, bark, Alice absorbed every detail and begged for more, as if she needed every detail she could obtain. The queen was amazed at the girls capacity, she had guessed she would have a knack for healing but not like this. She was driving to learn everything she could to help care for the red head still laying in the bed. One thing eluded her skill though. She was not about to touch half the things that the White Queen brought in. Buttered fingers, worm fat, Jubjub bird eyes, Jabberwocky scales (Alice was quite sure collected after she left the last time) among other nauseating elements made her skin crawl when the thought of skin contact came. So some of the castle's fine silver sugar tongs and serving spoons were brought up, and laid haphazardly across jars or on tables.

Even with her heart thrown into the learning and practicing of elixirs and potions every twitch or change in breathing of the Hatter was caught by Alice's keen eyes. His heart rate had regained a normal pace along with his breath. He moved in the bed some now, turning and wriggling around to find a comfortable position. To his caretakers dismay his eyes hadn't so much as flickered open yet. Taking more and more of his care on her small sloping shoulders as well as devouring text books given by her new teacher with her lessons was wearing on Alice. Tired was an adjective that fit her very well these last few days.

Her hair was always thrown up in a bun on her head, curls escaping when ever possible, when they were available she wore her trousers and a blouse. Blouses were easy to come by. No matter the size it could be tucked in to a manageable fit. The circles under her eyes were nearly as evident as the color that spilled around the hatters. Late one night Mirana ventured down the halls of Mamoraial to peak in on her two wards. Alice sat in the light blue velvet chair with a large and ancient tomb in her lap reading it, every once in a while her dimmed blue eyes would flick over to the Hatter. Tired of watching the younger woman wear herself thin, and knowing that her irritable mood could make coming times more trying then necessary, the Queen decided to act. Throwing open the doors to the bedchamber she watched Alice startle and jump out of the chair, her hair falling free of the ribbon it was tied up in. It fluttered to the ground slowly and both women watched. It was a purple ribbon, and Mirana could only guess it came from the Hatter's collection.

When the ribbon finally settled it was as if a spell of silence was broken. "That's it! We had an agreement Alice and I've been tolerant but it's been days now!" The break of the calm gentle demeanor the queen always wore shocked Alice. Her eyes grew wide in shock and she tensed as if to run. If the queen expected a rebuttal she wasn't getting one at this time, so she continued though gentler. "The deal was that you would take care of yourself... Look at you, you wear things that don't fit, where you are finding them heaven only knows, you don't' sleep more then a mere 2 hours or so, and you haven't' seen the sun in days either." The woman opposite her crumpled in upon herself. Her shoulders that usually were held back and straight suddenly hunched forward, she wrapped one arm around her own middle while the other lifted to allow her right hand to wrap behind her neck. Her gaze fell to the floor, defeated and exhausted. She didn't even face Mirana squarely, shifting so she looked to the side of her. The white Queen didn't know how to respond. Even at her most frightened Alice had never collapsed, or just given up. She had run before, or argued, both before she flew into attack. Rubbing a headache out of her forehead that was building the older woman studied the shadow of a girl in front of her.

"I can't let this continue. I think you should retire to your rooms, get some sleep, spend a couple days. We'll decide what to do from there.." Turning to walk out as she spoke the only warning she had was the sharp intake of breath.

"No."

Spinning back around Mirana took on her most royal air. She straightened her back and lifted a dark challenging brow. "Pardon?"

Alice's eyes burned and a sneer lilted on her lips. "I said 'No'." Swelling up to a more impressive stance she pointed a finger at the queen. "You have every right to yell or refuse to help me further but you have no right to tell me to leave here. This is his room, and I'm here for him." Her extended digit pointed then to the floor and finally to the Tarrant's silent form.

"You tend to forget that I am your Queen Alice. Something that is not wise."

"Why not? Will you have my head then? Are you secretly just as twisted and power hungry as that ridiculous little troll you had me drug here to vanquish for you not so many years ago?"

Balking at the verbal assault Mirana stepped back, affronted with shock painting her features. "Alice... I..."

The blond shook her head, her hair floating behind her and glowing from the firelight beside her. It would have been lovely if anger wasn't carved on her face. "Perhaps we need to have all this out. So we are clear. I've been your champion Mirana, you asked me not to adress you by your title, and just so we are very clear you never asked me for an oath of servitude or loyalty. I didn't offer one either. So while you are a queen and this is your land you are NOT my Queen, and you will do well to remember that."

"That isn't neccisary you know. I would never harm you, or any of my subjects!"

Some of the anger melted from Alice. "Don't make threats then Mirana. I do now, no less then I did when I put on the white knights armour and went to battle. All I'm doing is everything I can to save someone I l... care about. This battle is a distance marathon not a sprint like before."

"All the same, you need rest..."

Nodding in agreement with all malice and negative out in the air Alice lifted her hands. "How do I rest when he won't stop?" then crumpled in on herself once more.

Becoming more and more unnerved by the labile girl, the queen stared. Frankly it seemed Alice was going round the bend at a remarkable pace, and she could only think of one person who could pull her from the brink. Softly she moved so as not to startle another rant from the girl in the overlarge blouse and grey trousers. Setting a friendly hand on her shoulder Mirana spoke in a voice one would use to calm a scared animal. "He will wake up Alice. He gets better everyday. Look at him, he looks himself. Listen to his breath move smoothly in and out of his lungs, at a even pace. why any moment now he may open his eyes."

Faith and hope tried to blossom in Alice, but she squashed them down like weeds. She didn't deserve either of them. "What if he does? What am i to say? That I'm sorry i left, or that I love him, or that I'll never leave again?... or do I simply settle for a Hi." Whirling around she threw her arms as if each question was a ball to fling into the air and watch where it may lay. Spinning in a lopsided way that any town drunk would envy Alice was facing the Hatter once more... A very much awake hatter, with eyes glowing a green unseen in underland..

Whether it was the unbalance of her stance, the inertia of the spin, shock, exhaustion, or any other thing one may imagine Alice fell to knees. Her lips formed words, or perhaps tried to for no sound escaped. Mirana moved forward to see if the girl was alright before she realized what had happened. Then she too was struck mute and immobile. The only sound to fill the room were the words from the man in the bed.

"Am I dead? I must be dead."


	6. Chapter 6

The Path: Chapter 6

Whether it was the unbalance of her stance, the inertia of the spin, shock, exhaustion, or any other thing one may imagine Alice fell to knees. Her lips formed words, or perhaps tried to for no sound escaped. Mirana moved forward to see if the girl was alright before she realized what had happened. Then she too was struck mute and immobile. The only sound to fill the room were the words from the man in the bed.

"Am I dead? I must be dead."

Sitting up in the bed Tarrant looked at the two women in front of him. They were so still he wondered whether they were in fact real, or just images from his mind painted onto reality. His head swirled inside as he rose and he pressed a hand to it. He groaned at the ache in his muscles from those two small movements. Raking his wild mess of curls back some he looked at the girl kneeling on the floor. She was like an angel, golden hair alight from the fire surrounded her porcelain doll face like a halo. Even her stance had a religious look to it. She would have been an old master's muse of a savior.

Of course this wasn't the first time her visage had assaulted his mind. It had appeared and hidden from him more times then he could count since she left. It always looked like a whisper rather then this solid though. Hmm looked like a whisper, that didn't make sense.. but then again it did. He shook the rambling from his mind carefully, so as not to rattle his all to fragile organ too much. If she looked more here then he must be farther gone.

Turning from his minds cruel trick he looked to his queen. She looked so startled, as if she had seen a ghost.. /Which must be me/

"Your majesty, please don't be afraid...what happened...?" his words were ruff, his mouth was so unused to forming syllabary now, his accent was thicker. He ran his index finger and thumb down the muscles of his face trying to loosen them. His sovereign did little aside from smooth some of the shock from her face and watch him all the closer. Pulse speeding in anxiety, his respiration's worked to keep up. Anxiety was moving to fear, and with pupils dilating he begged silently to be saved. But he would not look to the angel on the floor for it. No he needed reality to save him not another wishful thought given form by his ever misguided mind.

Pity winning over her own confusion with the situation, Mirana stepped in to help. Gliding closer to his bed she clasped her hands in front of her and gave a silent prayer of thanks to the powers that be. "Peace Hatter. All is well, you are very much alive." her smile was gentle and re-assuring, so much so that he almost believed her. His eyebrows lowered to a less fearful height and his eyes softened a touch. Cocking an eyebrow the White Queen looked from Tarrant to Alice sitting on the floor. "Dear isn't there someone you want to say hello to?" Green eyes followed her gaze to look upon Alice, just the barest glance was given before he snapped his head another way and pulled himself against the wall to huddle in upon himself.

"I...I... I don' know what ye mean..." his voice shook as his accent dripped even thicker into his words.

A sound ripped through Alice's throat, something akin to a sigh mixed with a sob. The thick accent was sweet and so desirable, and in so small an amount. It was like picking honeysuckles as a child with her sister in the back field. So much work for the small sweet drop of nectar held at the heart of each delicate bloom. He was awake and alive and talking.. He was ignoring her but... that was to be expected, wasn't it.. She wanted to look away from him, to shrink into the shadows but his eyes were open, and hers wouldn't allow her to stop drinking that in.

Mirana walked up behind Alice and set a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I mean Alice my friend. She is right here, can't you recognize her." She used the same calming voice she had on Alice just moments ago, hesitant and soft.

He didn't run, that was a plus but he did wrap his knees up to his chest and start to rock. "Don tell me you see her too... tha' can'no be good... tha would mean you were boggeled as well!... or mayhap you are'na real either...I'm imagining ya both.. or I am dead and you are my damnation..." His eyes seemed to glow as he talked, turning a wild yellow and looking so desperately at Alice.

Her jaw fell, she had expected to be hated but never listed as damnation. Her eyes did tear away from him now, to look to Mirana. The white queen looked down at the girl, eyes soft. "Maybe you should go next door and get cleaned up. We've had a long day."

Nodding Alice rose and turned from the bed, she would have liked to walk slow and regally as the queen with her head high but that wasn't to be. She ran hopeful to be out the door before the tears fell. Betrayed by her emotions her speed just allowed the glistening drops to fly behind her to leave a small path behind her. She burst into her cold unfeeling room and threw herself across the bed she had never even slept in. The sheets were stiff and new and offered little comfort but she pressed her face into them and let all of her feelings out. Lack of sleep, exhaustion, and raw nerves all culminated in this moment, and after her tears fell fast and warm. And as her tears nearly ran out she slipped slowly into sleep, where dreams would come.

As Alice fled the White Queen kept her eyes on the Hatter. What she saw gave her hope, he watched her leave and sorrow fell upon his face and his hand flinched to reach after her. Floating again she alighted on the dusky blue chair, and placed a comforting hand on the one that betrayed his feelings. Taking his eyes from where Alice had vanished he looked down at the hand holding is.

"I can feel your hand..." this small fact seemed to marvel him and he looked cautiously at her.

"Yes you can. We are really here Tarrant." She smiled gently, and leaned back into the chair. "You know I've always admired this color, it doesn't really match the rest of the room but i like it. Where ever did you find it."

The rapid and random change of subject was enough to throw even him off, and trying to catch up he looked at the soft velour of the fabric. "Aye, it's a very demur color. I usually tend ta the more vivid colors, don I?"

Nodding Mirana rubbed the chairs soft fabric with her palms. "It's a lovely shade of blue.. Is it sky blue?"

The Hatter shook his head, colors were part of his profession. They were safe and familiar, allowing his guard to fall, and him to focus on something. "Nay, sky blue is brighter, it has less grey to it."

Considering him she nodded. "It's not Robbin's egg blue..."

"Nay it's Alice blue." He said the words without thinking about it. Causing the corner of the queen's lips to tilt up into a smile.

"You've missed her for so long haven't you? Why can't you believe she is really here?"

He realized he had been tricked and let some of the tension out. He'd said her name already taking some of the taboo out of it.

"Why would she be? I was round the bend before, I'm even more mad now... I've seen her every day since she left, had i told you that? No, no I hadn't, because even I know it wasn't real..So it can't be real now."

"When you saw her before what did you see?" Mirana asked softly trying to find a way to prove to his broken mind that she was real this time.

He pulled the covers up around him and folded it between his fingers. "She was like vapour, I could see her and not touch her. Always smiling and then she would vanish... Just like that day..."

The queen listened, tapping her foot as she thought. "She didn't disappear this time though... Alice ran, crying, you can go feel the tears that fell to the floor." standing suddenly she walked to the lamp and dimmed it. "Sleep Hatter. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow, and we have to find out what caused your illness."

"My what?" Looking up from the sheets to Mirana he frowned.

"You've been on your death bed for weeks now. Welcome back to the world of the living.. And I assure you, you are part of it." She smiled sweetly and floated out of the room.

His mind spun now though he didn't move, so much information had been poured in, and he had to make sense of it all. Not sure how long he had been thinking of all of it he came to a conclusion. The rest could wait only one thing was direly important now. Throwing his covers off, he pulled himself out of the bed and stumbled to his closet. He was wearing silk purple plaid pajama bottoms, that he was unsure how he got in, and went to find a top, so as not to stalk through the castle half naked. Mad he may be but he was at the very least a gentleman as well.

Leaning against the wall for some support he gained the hallway and looked down each direction of the empty passages. Hadn't the White Queen told Alice to go next door? To the left was one of the ballrooms that seemed to multiply in this castle.. that left the right, where an empty set of rooms had sat for some time. Slipping silently down the marble halls he stood in front of the doors. No name plate was there but he had to check. Softly he knocked on the white panel, three defined taps...then listened. Nothing happened, so he knocked again. When still no answer came, he breathed deeply. This went against his moral compass, but he had to see if she was really in there. Cracking the door he slipped in with just the whisper of this silk pants grazing the frame. He moved slowly, regaining the ability to move his muscles. This collection of rooms was laid out exactly as his, so he knew in the back was the bed chamber. Opening one more set of doors he found what he was looking for.

There laying in a ball on top of the sheets was a sleeping Alice. She never stirred and if it hadn't been for the rise and fall of her chest he would have wondered if she were alive. He walked with one hand extended tips hopeful to just graze something solid. When they ran down her shoulder, he sighed. She really was here, it was really her.

Leaning down he brushed her blond curls back to brush his lips against her cheek to her ear. "There you are Alice. You are terribly late yet again. Naughty."


	7. Chapter 7

The Path: Chapter 7

There was a lot of free time to be had in Underland when a body wasn't exhausting itself taking care of a sick man and trying to learn every secret magic held here. There was even more free time when one was hiding away from that same man, never leaving her room without secretive glances down the hall. With so much time on her hands Alice threw herself back into her studies, and her thoughts. She had taken Mirana's words to heart and slept as much as a normal person should, her waking moments she used to learn, because if she wasn't learning she was thinking. There was only one thing that would occupy her idol thoughts.

Him.

She would think of him laying in the bed, of how he had hurt when she left, and of how when he did wake up he had called her his damnation. Then on occasion she would even think of him before she had left, as they faced destiny side by side on the chess checkered battlefield. Those thoughts were both horrible and wonderful. Drowning in the middle of her tears and these thoughts she would wonder if she should leave underland and go home. True it was boring there but at least she wasn't lurking in her rooms until hours where no one should be around the castle's halls. And her rooms at home were filled with her belongings and her style, not the cool colors the white queen favored. But she had given her word to him, in a sort of prayer or bargaining chip, that she wouldn't leave again. Besides even miserable there were adventures to be had in this world she could never dream of.

Throughout the day she would hear people scurrying thought the castle, walking up and down halls, and at sporadic moments people knocked. She didn't answer, she would feign sleep if anyone deigned to poke a head in. But there was a certain knock that made her want to throw open the paneled door and and run screaming in happiness. She had no idea how she knew it was him, maybe is was the rhythm, or the inconsistent force... It didn't matter though. When he knocked she fought the urge to run to him and instead melted to the floor. Because she knew that the face she wished to hurtle towards wore an expression of scorn for the woman he had suffered over, it wasn't the smiling face of a person that's hug made you feel like you had run home.

Three people didn't bother knocking or falling for the sleeping rouse. Mirana still came to administer her lessons, lacing every conversation with initiations out of her room, like a teenager spiking the dance's punch. Thackary would come visit to try to cheer her up, though now that his burden was lost and he had returned to his previous exploits, Alice tended to resent his visits and the increased need for ducking. Lastly was the one person she didn't even fake sleep for so she could try to pry info out of him...Chess. The cat would materialize at random moments, though after catching a well aimed silver brush on the head, (a feat Alice was quite proud of) never again in the bathroom.

Chess was still withholding the information he promised to share with her, Alice was loosing her patience, and now he vanished faster and faster. It seems Chess wasn't of the opinion that she was ready for the news.

Scanning though another ancient book of knowledge to be gained from Underland, Alice sat on her large silvery blue clad bed. She had no alert that Cheshire had entered the room until he phased into being over her head, stretching along the back of her chair. There was much to say about the Cheshire cat, that he was alarmingly happy all the time, that he was non-committal in most any altercation, that he had a knack for either showing up at the wrong time or scaring the hell out of a person. But it you put all that aside, he was one of the most graceful creature she had ever seen. It may have had something to do with the fact that gravity had no hold on him, but even when he chose to walk on surfaces he flowed.

Chess purred and showed his wide grin for her in a hello, as his tail swished through the air. "Still hiding oh brave Alice?"

Lapis colored eyes glared at him, or best they could with them over her head. "Ha! very funny Chess. Have you come just to mock me this time or are you going to hold your secret over my head of who poisoned him?"

The grinning cat floated upside down from over her head to in front of her face. "Honestly my dear I'm surprised you are even interested in who organized the near death experience my dear friend Tarrant experienced. Why you've not said a word to him since the night he woke up. If I'm correct, and I'm sure I am, you haven't even seen him."

Recovering from her small twitch that now replaced the wince she had been giving when his name was mentioned, she tossed her hair. "I've been busy as you well know. Aside from that I have every intention of avenging your dear friend..." It was just his name, why couldn't she say it? Flipping a page she acted like that last sentence should have ended instead of hanging waiting for more.

Large aqua eyes watched her. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to avenge him?"

"because."

"Because why?"

Jumping up and stomping across the room Alice cocked on him out and rested her hands on each side. "That's my job isn't it? As the white Queen's champion. Aren't I the new white knight?"

"Not unless you want to be, you offered to be her champion only one time, and besides the White Knight protects the Queen and her subjects, he or she isn't obligated to seek revenge. In fact that is a very un-white purpose, don't you think."

Crossing her arms she fumed silently for a moment. He was right, she couldn't imagine the vorpal sword so pure and strong being used for revenge. "True. But I will not let this attack go unpunished. It can't be permitted!"

Chess nodded his head causing him to bob slightly in the air. "And when you figure out why you will take this mantle on and admit it to those that matter, including yourself, I'll take you right to the person responsible."

"and until then?"

"I'll be watching you of course. As well as stopping in to visit here and there."

A knock echoed through the sparsely decorated room, Alice spun to look at the door and Chess lifted his gaze over her head to it. Alice's hands dropped from crossing her chest to her sides in a limp odd sort of way, drawing Chess's aqua pools back to her.

Gliding through the air Chess nestled into her hair. "You are so close. Find your muchness again."

When she spun toward the words Chess was already just wisps of vapor disappearing into thin air.

Muchness... Find her muchness? Her brow furrowed into a look of sheer determination and she strode with pure purpose to the door, she grasped the cool silver handle and then...

Tarrant didn't know what he could do to get her attention. He had gone to her rooms more times then he could count, he had even deigned to poke his head in once. She was nowhere to be seen and he couldn't bring himself to actually go in. There were times when he knocked that he heard her moving around and that she was close to the door. Never did an answer come though. Throwing himself into his work he was creating hats and more at a startling rate. To enter his rooms now one was stepping over hats, and winding around towers of them. Some dresses, jackets, and such littered the ground as well. It was to this catastrophe that Mirana entered one day.

"Tarrant! What have you been doing?" She asked, gliding around the jumbles that created a very small path through the main room. "Ohh, I like this one!" She picked up a white and silver hat that tipped slightly forward with bright peacock feathers down one side. Placing it on her head she continued down the path to see the Hatter sitting at a sewing machine. His foot was rocking the pedal at a swift pace, the wheels were turning, and the needle slid up and down through the material as his practiced hands guided it. He never looked up from the machine, even as she neared him. The wild orange eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, ignoring his surroundings. Ever so carefully the queen placed a hand on his shoulder. Not surprising the Hatter yelped and jumped up from his seat, the needle slowing without the movement he had given it.

"I'm fine!" He said as he settled and straightened his jacket. "I see you found something to your liking your majesty" nodding to the hat still clutched in her fair hands.

"Yes I have! You are the best Hatter this court has ever seen Tarrant. But why the explosion of work?"

The hatters eyes didn't meet Mirana's as he spoke again. "it must be a flood of creativity from being gone for so long." He bent down to fidget with the wheel on his perfectly working machine.

"Oh is that all? It doesn't have anything to do with our newest member of underland?"

Tarrant fiddled even harder with his sewing machine. "Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

Nodding at his back the queen acknowledged the man's typical change of subject. "No I haven't a clue."

"Neither have I!" the laugh that followed was both relieved and wild, close to the one she remembered.

She walked over to his desk and left a stack of coin for the hat. As he stood to see her out she touched his shoulder again with another friendly touch. "You need to talk to her."

His eyes seemed to grow a blue color, off from their typical green. "She won't see me. I've tried. She comes back after all these years and then takes one look at me in my rooms and then disappears again. Only now she is right pas that wall." Now his eyes grew yellow, anger showing through.

"You called her a devil basically." Mirana reminded him. He shook his head.

"I didn't think she was real! I've been seeing here everywhere since she left and It had made me ill. I even got a plant to add to my tea to help my digestion settle." He threw a blind hand behind him to indicate the mysterious plant on his tea tray. The queen cataloged that piece of information but moved onto the point of the moment.

"She doesn't know all of that of course."

"She doesn't care."

"She cared enough not to leave your side from the moment she got here till you woke up."His eyes widened and stared at her begging that is was possible she was telling the truth. "You thought she just happened to be there at that moment?"

Past words he nodded.

"She slept next to you on in that blue chair where she read book after book trying to find a cure for you. I speak nothing but the truth Tarrant. Go to her and talk to her." Turning to leave she put the elegant hat on and looked back over her shoulder "and thanks for the Hat dear."

Watching the queen leave Tarrant just starred out after her. Alice had come to take care of him? She had been there the whole time, and he hadn't known he thought she had just stopped in and happened to be there when he had woken. Then she had vanished in hurt and he thought it was because she wanted nothing to do with him now. As warmth flooded through him his muscles eased and were able to move, able to carry him to her door yet again. But this time he would not be denied!

Muscles stretching and contracting, his stride was fierce taking him through the piles of hats, not having the patience to walk around them. He snatched up a hanger with a few things he had just happened to make in exactly her size.. Then it was out the door into the hall and standing at her door. He knocked again, with the flat of his fist so the sound would carry in a fuller tone. When it didn't fly open immediately he grabbed the silver handle and considered turning it to enter the rooms on his own.


	8. Chapter 8

Of ever occurrence in time there is more then one side of the same story. In the bible almost all of the disciples wrote of their version of Jesus' life and teachings, they call them Gospels. In every broken hearted sob story there is the break-y and the breaker, and so on and so forth. I say all of this to say that there are two sides to every story and while they may be quite different on some details they end the same way. Something happened, someone started it, and people were involved.

If you were to ask Alice or the Hatter exactly who opened the door you would get different stories. To be sure one could never tell, perhaps even those two souls aren't aware who opened it and who was left holding the handle as it turned. Or perhaps they were exactly in sync and opened it at the same time. In truth though it doesn't matter. What does is that the door did open, and when it did there was a person on each side looking right at the other.

Both wore expressions of shock, for they didn't expect the other one to be there, and both had adrenaline flying through their blood giving them that cold rush of energy to either fight or run that being startled gives you. Perhaps this increase of hormone caused the candid honesty that happened afterward, we will never know, but at first silence prevailed for just a moment, while each one of them got over their shock. Then the words flew, some of which were spoken by each, and some said that needn't be.

"I'm sorry!"/ "Sorry!"

Alice blushed and looked down to her bare feet, why hadn't she put on shoes? "I wasn't expecting you."

The glow on the Hatters face rivaled hers, "Nor I you , I'm sure"

Another pause while they gathered their scattered thoughts, a feat Alice accomplished slightly quicker.

"I'm sorry for more then startling you, you know. I'm sorry I left you, I'm sorry I was gone so long, and that you missed me, and I'm even more sorry then anything that you hate me now, even though I understand it..." She had to pause for breath her sentence lasted so long. When she pulled the air into her ready to continue the tirade of guilt Tarrant lifted one pale finger to her lips and pressed it ever so gently but meaningfully to them.

"You can't honestly think I could ever hate you." It wasn't a question it was a statement, or perhaps a rhetorical question that wasn't spoken in the right beat. Though with him not moving his finger all the small beauty was left was expressions. Her brows pulled together and the corners of her lips tilted toward the ground. As sad as those two movements were it was nothing to the sudden increase in sparkle as her eyes filled with soft unshed tears.

Shaking his head softly in disbelief, though keeping his finger quite in place. "That is the biggest load of bollix I've heard. Hear this and remember it Alice my dear. I could never hate you."

Her tears spilled over onto her rose tinted cheeks leaving trails of sparkles in their wake. Removing his hand from her lips the Hatter caught one single drop, the first one to fall actually, on the tip of that same finger and held it up to the light. From a distance it looked like he held a perfect diamond there, it actually even cast a small rainbow. As was his custom, he became slightly distracted from the serious moment as he marveled at it.

Alice finally found the ability to speak. "Hatter?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm Fine my dear. I truly am." He held the tear for her to see. "This is for me?"

Her mess of curled locks flailed as her head nodded. She was still unsure of what to say.

"Is it because I hurt you the other night? Because I didn't think it was really you! I thought it was..." he trailed off and looked down at the ground.

"You... you didn't think it was me? You don't think ill of me? for leaving and such?"

Shaking his head in such an endearing manner, his bright green eyes looked straight at hers. "No, I thought you were a self created delusion that had been haunting me since.."

She frowned. "Since I left? I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Again he shook his head negating the need for an apology. "You had things you had to do, You told me you would be back, I should have believed you." He looked back at the tear still sitting daintily on his hand. "Is this because you are sad to see me now?"

He was so intent on that small little tear, but his voice was so honest, and his expression so open that Alice could not deny what he wanted. She was however quite aghast at how she explained it. So short simple and to the point. Brazen actually, with no wording to protect herself should he not return her emotions..Which she felt he had ever right to do.

"Quite the opposite really. It's because I love you." Both their visages reddened, and she tried to turn away but the hatter had dropped whatever manner of parcel he had been carrying, one oddly enough she was unaware of till this moment, and he pleadingly stopped her movement.

"Don't turn away now Alice, please..." With great effort and terrifying openness she moved her Sapphire orbs up to meet his. She couldn't speak anything else, it would either cheapen her words or be a lie. Slight confusion was staring at her from him but he didn't flinch away either "You shed this because you love me.." He watched her nod her head, this was torture. Whatever could he be thinking? and when was he ever so calm and kept his thoughts inside. "You cry because loving me hurts you?"

Alice very nearly rolled her eyes. How could he not see! She had to explain it. "I shed that tear because I love you and I hurt you and you have brushed it aside so easily. And I don't know why!" The urge to turn petulantly away came over her but his hands wouldn't have it.

"My dear girl that must be obvious."

Irritation hitting her she cut her eyes menacingly at him. "Oh it is, is it?"

"Quite right."

"Well if you would be so kind as to enlighten me sir."

"Because I love you." Coming from him the words sounded like they came from a child. Pure, unblemished, and unerringly true. They warmed her and froze her where she stood. With a wild grin she hadn't seen in nearly a decade, he smiled happily at her and held up the lone tear once again.

"This is because you love me, and I love you so I shall keep it with me always." In an odd sort of way what he did next was sweet and endearing and the only way she could have thought of to keep her simple tear. He licked it off his finger, taking it into himself. It was one of the most unique and endearing things she had ever seen.

When she found her words again to speak he silenced her once more by closing the small distance between them and finally pressing his lips to her pale shell colored ones. In a move he had been dreaming of for years. All thoughts of speech forgotten Alice moved instinctively into his grasp and allowed the magic of the moment to go on and on. The only words spoken in all they time they kissed, there in her open doorway where anyone could see came as they paused for breath. "And dear, Call me Tarrant." Her only response was to flash the most exuberant smile he had ever seen grace her face and then pull him back to her reach and slide her fingers into his mad curly mess of hair to hold him there.

Alice could never think of how indecorous her actions were at this moment, she was standing in public barefoot kissing a man. Knowing her well enough and having some small measure of true thought left, he did what was natural to protect his little Alice. He moved them into her room and kicked the door shut. In the long run this was even more scandalous then kissing in the hallway but there were no prying eyes to be seen here. Costing the last bit of thought left to the couple things started to progress. The kisses deepened, they held each other tighter, pressing into each other. His jacket was hot, and didn't allow his arms enough room to move to hold her tightly. It fell to the floor.

Her tie hung loose but created a barrier between them, it soon floated to the floor to join his jacket. Then it was his tie, their vests, and his shoes... Eventually they had made there way to her bed chamber with a path of discarded clothing in their wake and only trousers and loose shirts left to cover them. Their kisses never stopped even as they reached the bed and fell onto it, Alice laying on her back and holding the man she was kissing to her as he tried to hold himself over her tiny form...

Please be warned that the next chapter is rated Mature. There are adult situations, and I would appreciate you using your own judgment on continuing and reading it. I find love between two willing and passionate people to be an amazing thing that should be celebrated but realize that maturity must be a part of the experience.

Thank you so much for your support reviews and consideration. I'm so touched you enjoy my musings :D

Melesifant


	9. Chapter 9

His hands were on either side of her, keeping his solid form close enough to touch her soft body but letting no weight press on her. His lips teased and caressed her own, neither letting the other go. Her slim dainty hands were raking through his hair pulling him to her, as she arched her back towards him, struggling to be as close as possible to him. Lips sliding down to sweep down her jaw line up to her ear, he felt her shudder at the chill he sent down her spine. Soft laughter danced from him as he nuzzled her ear.

"Tarrant..." his name being sighed by her was awe inspiring. He kissed her neck gently.

"again"it was her turn to laugh this time at his whispered insistence.

"mmm... Tarrant" Elation ran through him at hearing her say his name so intimately. He started to rain warm kisses down her neck, intent to caress every bit of her he could, to show his love. Every touch brought an endearing sigh or moan from his Alice, driving him on, driving him mad. Lowering himself from his hands to his forearms and leaned to his left side, he was able to wrap his arms around her small waist, to run a soft caress down her slim hip and down her long leg. She gasped again, throwing her head back from so light a touch and calling out to her GOD. He wrapped the leg around him, keeping her secured to him. He lifted his head from his ministrations to look at her, leaving her hands to fall by her head and grasp at the sheets. A bright flush painted her cream colored skin in the most endearing rose color, her eyes were closed and a smile played on her lips that were a bit swollen from their intense kissing. Running his hands down her spine he watched as it bowed, lifting her up into him again. Innocent and beautiful, he couldn't decide if he wanted to ravage her senseless or protect her from all the world and just hold her.

He was mad, everyone knew that, and he was of two minds about most things in wonderland but this was most different. All of him wanted both, he was fighting his base nature as a man with his character as a gentleman. While waging this war internally he had paused his motions, giving Alice a moment of respite from the onslaught of sensations he was inflicting on her, allowing her to open her eyes look back at him.

"What?"

His eyebrows lifted and his expression melted into the sweet adoring one she remembered from the balcony of Marmorial all those years ago when he had told her she had to be half mad to dream him up. She lifted a hand to caress his cheek and run a finger along his cherry colored lips. As they glided away he finally spoke. "You are so very beautiful." Her flush turned to an all out blush and her eyes lowered demurely. Trying to withdraw her hand he caught it and rained kisses on her palm. "Come now Alice, you can't honestly play bashful now."

Laughter lighting her eyes she brought them up to his again. "I do believe you are right. Look at me, I know I've never been one for proper but I doubt I've ever flown in the face of propriety this much." at her statement the gentleman finally won over the beast that was man. Leaning down he kissed her sweetly on the tip of her little upturned nose. He released his hold of her and went to roll away, only to be stopped by her iron grip on his shirt front. "Where are you going?"

The Hatter lowered his eyes from hers, no longer feeling fit to touch her. "I've gone to far I'm afraid, and forgotten myself. Thankfully we have stopped just in time."

Again he tried to pull away, only for a second hand to grasp him.

"Please don't stop! We've been apart for too long, to hell with propriety I want this!" Startled by her curse as much as her words he returned her gaze, reading the open honesty and intent clearly. "Aye, we've been apart for far to long, but not so long we can't do this properly." Seeing her brow furrow he leaned down and kissed the small wrinkle. "Alice Kingsligh, I'd like to ask for your hand, and never let it go again."

Not being a large man, though Alice being a rather tiny woman, he didn't expect what she did next. She flung herself up out at him wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. *kiss* "Yes!" *kiss* "Yes!" *kiss* " A thousand times YES!" She somehow gained the upper hand, pushing him to his back and straddling over him and raining down her affection. It was a tender sweet moment, both of them shedding happy tears, that was shadowed by his impulses. Every time she moved to kiss him she brushed herself against his groin, and though he struggled to maintain he knew it was a loosing battle and that any moment she was going to realize.

Trying to hide his attention by unsettling her however had a very opposite effect. She noticed the hardness she had created in him and looked at him with a type of curiosity that was so uniquely Alice. Rocking her hips she felt his trousers raise into her own. "You want me don't you?" The question lit a fire in him, pushing him from the sweet sanity he tried to maintain and drawing out the rougher, mad side.

His eyes glowed yellow as he was overcome and he flipped her over and secured her under him then restrained her hands over her with one hand. "Aye ya wickid lil' girl. An do ya take such pleasure in tempting me? Trying mah sanity as well as mah manners? I'm tryin ta keep your virtue intact and ya are nearly begging meh to take yeh now." Expecting her to respond in fear, he physically drew back when she smiled and laid calmly under his violence and said as if it were plain to all.

"I Love you Tarrant, all and every bit of you. I care nothing for what is proper when I finally have you with me." His eyes mellowed back to his endearing emerald. "I..." he was lost for words.

"I am begging you in fact. To make me yours." she smiled at him.

"Say it again please." He looked at her imploringly and left no doubt what he wanted to hear.

The words fell sweet and soft for only his ears to hear. "I love you Tarrant."

Removing his hands from her wrists he drew her left hand up to him and kissed the palm before turning it over and sliding his pin cushion ring onto her empty ring finger. "This will have to do until I can find something more suitable."

Glowing and in Love the couple looked at each other and Alice said only one more thing. "Oh Tarrant how could anything be more appropriate!" After that there wasn't much room for any words aside from sighs of satisfaction mingled with 'I love you' and those words never sounded so sincere.

Her lips, red from his attentions, found their way back to his. Her arms were thrown around his shoulders holding her to him no matter how he might try to separate them. There was no time for thoughts or propriety for the man now. She was all his and warm and safe in his arms, with no dark shadows of battle looming on the horizon. When her lips touched his he feel completely under her spell, and didn't think about anything apart from this moment.

The room held a chill that stone walls can never truly be rid of, that moist crisp air of a cave almost, but her Love's hands were warm and firm and she couldn't help but cuddle into them. Slipping down between them the practiced hands made quick work of her shirt buttons, and with a little shrug and her lifting her back off the bed the blouse fell to the floor to join the collection of discarded linens. He did this with slow worshipful movements, drinking in her soft fair skin laid almost bare to him. When they kissed again a fire seared between them, and wildness took over. Her trousers and undergarments were flung from their warm bed, and his clothing was gone as fast as her fingers could manage.

Tarrant wanted to go slow, to watch her, and love her with his eyes, but they were both beyond that. Innocent sweet Alice didn't know what was going to happen next all that she knew was that she wanted more and when she got it it only tempted and strained her thirst for him. Her fingers were tickling down his spine or playing in his bright ginger hair. His held her to him and fondled her ripe full breasts, teasing her tips or weighing and caressing the globe. When he had her so driven that her small hips started to rise to him he knew he could wait no longer. He had only time to warn "Love this may hurt..." moving from her lips to kiss her throat but she shook her head and sighed in such an awe inspiring way that he moved forward.

Pulling away slightly to her disappointed moans. Softly with insistence he spread her pale thighs and knelt between them, and leaned to return his lips to hers. The way to her opening was instinctual and when he found the path he moved with slow anticipation...

thank you to all my new followers and those kind enough to comment XD this and HP Is love enough are my only fanfics ever and neither are complete. So your encouragement and advice help tremendously! As well as become my muse :D

Again I'm warning it's about to become rather graphic, so please use your own judgment, Thank you!

Melesifant


	10. Chapter 10

Alice's eyes were closed, her cheeks flamed with heat and blush, given totally to the moment and not knowing what else to do. The hatter reached his right hand up to brush a golden strand of hair from her face and stroke that cheek. "Love, open your eyes. Look at me please." Her lids fluttered open, casting shadows with those long lashes of hers and she looked timidly into his eyes. Her lips were parted slightly and her breath came in quick intakes.

Her innocent form stretched out beneath him, and it hurt him that he would take that innocence from her, but it hurt worse to contemplate stopping now. He laced his fingers into her own that laid off to the side and moved his aching member closer to her warmth. It was delicate and soft, and the moist walls fought his onslaught with tight pressure all around him. He knew his own breath was speeding up, but they still held eye contact confirming connection.

When her brow wrinkled he stopped moving, thinking that he must be to large for her. He knew he was having to work with slow purposeful pressure to move in, he felt her so tight around his enlarged staff. There wasn't time he couldn't remember where he ached so much or that so much blood was engorging him. At his pause her delicate hand twisted with his; squeezed urging him to continue. Concentration clear in his face he started to press into her womanhood again. By this time he had more then a quarter of his length in her, and he finally met her seal. Fear of causing her more pain then necessary washed over him. Causing him to now work his cock in and out of the same distance he had already concurred. Helping her to relax her muscles, and become familiar with the feel of him in her. Heart singing and reveling in the intimate hold she had on him, he almost didn't notice when she stared to press into his small thrusts.

Her hips were bucking up, pushing him in more and more. She starred at him with utter trust and he couldn't stand the distance between her lips and his. Leaning down he claimed them once more. Their eyes closed as they took a moment to feel what they had accomplished so far. Pulling from her his lips brushed her ear. "Are you ready? this is going to be painful.." Her head nodded vigorously, causing small tremors to be felt lower down. Bracing himself he rocked his hips back and forth twice before committing to the third. He felt the delicate barrier give way and felt a warm slickness now to help him press into her.

She had winced at the tearing but never had her gaze left his. She was so strong and brave and beautiful all rolled into one tiny woman. He fit in her snugly but perfectly and he couldn't help some irrational pride in this fact. He pulled back, nearly leaving her sheath, feeling her muscles resist the retreat and was surprised by the power between them when they pressed back to each other.

"You are all mine Alice." he purred possessively into her ear before kissing down he neck. His motions grew in importance, speed and power building. Alice's eyes now slid back into her head and closed and moans danced from her parted lips. Sounds of pleasure floating in the air, driving him farther on, as if he needed any more encouragement then her small figure arching and bowing to press him as far as she could take him.

The intensity was overwhelming to his system, he moved between madness and need, and sanity with gentleness. Alternating pace and pressure, which always increased when Alice said his name.

"Oh Tarrant...", " Tarrant, oh love...", "I love you, Tarrant!" all soft whispers, all driving him into insanity, causing him to pump violently at her, before he could remember himself and gentle. He would choke out her name with promises of eternal love, as her tight opening caressed his slower shaft.

Not able to keep his eyes from her the hatter didn't miss the signs that she was about to cum. Her nails dug into the top of his hand where they still gripped each other, her free hand clawed at the sheets or his arm and back. Breaths whisked in and out of her in ever accelerating gasps, she was beyond words now. "What is it love?" he was so filled with happiness he could't help but ask what she was feeling.

"Warmth...tingling.. need... Love...pressure.." the words tumbled one by one as she breathed. "Don't fight it Alice." The urging was little less then necessary. As a flood of ecstasy crashed through her flooding her blood with heat and adrenaline, he felt her silken muscles start to contract and massage him. A small scream pulled from her arched figure, and her free hands nails raked red furrows down the pale expanse of skin across his back. He didn't have a chance to fight, to hold on. The feeling of her caressing him, the verbal proof of her pleasure, and the small bite of pain as his skin was scratched tore through him bringing his own release. He slid his hips back and forward with hard full stokes before he felt himself finish and press his seed into her with a powerful gush.

Energy leaving him with his release, his arms folded and he was able to shift them to their sides. He didn't remove himself from her until her tired blue eye fluttered open again and she smiled. Moving ever so slowly then he slid out slowly and carefully, noting the secretive tightening around her eyes that refused to be a wince or twitch. "I love you." He whispered to her with a smile. She glowed back up at him. "I Love you too." she sang the words it seemed. then with a little yawn she curled up into his solid embrace and drifted almost instantly off to sleep.

Mature but not trashy I hope! Thank you again for reading!

Melesifant


	11. Chapter 11

The brilliant light of dawn found the couple embraced beneath the silver and blue duvet cover of Alice's bed. Tarrant's pale arms held her slim form to his chest, her head resting over his heart, and blond curls tumbling in random bedhead fashion all around. Her own arms embraced him delicately. The metallic colors of the room all seemed to glint with gold as if they lived in a dream world of sunbeams. As he reclined back on pillows the light invaded his sleeping lids before hers. Bringing him to consciousness.

When reality tugged him up to greet the day, the hatter was torn between glee and disappointment. His dreams last night were the stuff of legends, hot passionate love and sweet delicate touches, between himself and his sweet little Alice. How could he willingly leave his dream world? Though there really wasn't a decision to be made he had already left that utopia. Eyes still closed he took in the warm light letting it fill him. Funnily enough he felt heavy as if a small weight rested on his chest...Funny that. Fighting his teal and purple lids open he found quite pleasantly that the dream world and the weight of the new day were in fact true. His little Alice was stretched across his chest as her head rose and fell with his breath.

Tarrant wanted to rouse her. He wanted to clutch her to him and futterwacken all around the room, to scream from the ramparts of the castle that Alice Kingsleigh was his. Intent on imprinting this moment to his eternal memory he picked every detail to catalog and keep. when his gaze lit upon her left ring finger crowned with his own pincushion ring he stopped to marvel over it. The ring was too large for her dainty had, but she kept her finger crooked to not loose hold of it.

Unfortunately reality held other people in it, and he knew that even Underland would thrive on gossip as juicy as this, that the mad man had sullied the innocent champion of of the Queen. No this would not do. He would not tarnish her name. With painstaking care he extricated himself from her warm body, the comfortable bed linens, and braved the chilly castle floor without a squeak of protest to gather his garments. Laying the bag of clothing he had made for her across the foot of her bed before leaving. The hatter then slunk from the room with such grace even Chess would be impressed, returning to is own quarters and securing the secrecy with the fact that only they two knew of the events of last night.

He would now have to court her properly as they made plans. He thought a gift was in order. Flowers? Emerald colored eyes flashed to the window. No Alice he was sure had had quite enough flowers in her life time. Chocolate? Had he ever seen her touch a candy before? hmmm think, think, think... Delight drew his features into a grin to be proud of. He then set off for the Kitchen of Marmoreal to set his plan into motion.

With her head laid to face the door, the light of morning never flickered across her visage, however the warmth of he beams did wake her gently. Stretching she felt the sheets, reaching for Tarrant's hand or such. What she found was just empty rumpled sheets. Eyes darting open she searched the room for his tall colorful form to no avail. There was however a garment bag on the foot of he bed. Dropping the covers from around her she crawled across the expanse of linen and grabbed it up. Inside were a small array of clothing in soft elegant blue. No doubt who had made them. There were new trousers, blouses vests and such but also a few elegant and delicate dresses she would have died to wear. Pulling one from the collection she stood to place the rest into her wardrobe. Turning back to the bed she nearly screamed.

For resting among the cloaking sheets she had dropped was that damned cat, grinning at a very naked Alice. "PARDON ME CHESS! CLOSE YOUR EYES AT ONCE!" The grinning sneaky feline did as told but laughed in merriment.

"Well you have finally made peace with the Hatter, have you?"

Her glare was strong enough she was sure waves of anger washed against the cat as she stomped to the other side of the room to grab a dressing gown. When he heard the satin belt slide into a secure bow he cracked his eyes, his grin full across his head it seemed.

A blush flew to her cheeks as she glanced down to the ground. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you mean by that statement." Turning she went into the washroom to draw up a hot bath. While she was happy in all accounts she was rather sore.

Tsking her from the bed, Chessure rolled to his back and grinned upside down in her direction. "I can see his ring on your finger Alice. Not to mention other proof left of your...reconciliation."

He watched as she froze mid reach and counted the seconds till she moved to glare hostility at him.

"Chess if you dare..!" She started the threat, stretching herself up to make herself tall and lean appearing.

Floating up the grinning cat allowed his laughter to cut her off. "Alice dear I love knowing secrets not sharing them." Her mouth closed as she glanced at him. "I gave you my word that when you were over your issue I wold tell you who poisoned him."

"So it was poison?"

the cat nodded, causing his whole body to bob in the air.

"WHO?" she demanded, anger pulling her toward him.

"The Red Queen. It was Iracabeth, or at least done on her orders."

Alice's teeth grit together in frustration. She growled the next words through them. "Can you prove it?"

As soon as her words were done he started to dematerialize, continuing as he spoke. "That my dear is for you to do. You have the knowledge to start, and the White Queen and the Hatter will both be of great value in your pursuit."

And then he was gone, eerie eyes, grin and all.

Cats really are eerie in the way they watch you... imagine if they could talk and such.. Silly Voyeuristic Chess...


	12. Chapter 12

Assuring herself that the troublesome cat was gone from her rooms, Alice loosed the robe from around her and slid into the stinging comfort of her tub. The water was that temperature where you couldn't decide if it was pain or comfort that she loved. It soaked it's calm into her tired and sore muscles allowing her to stretch and move in comfort. By the time the water had cooled to luke warm Alice had cleansed and washed her self in the perfumed soap stocked. Slipping out she gasped at the still cool flooring under her feet as she delved into the fluffy white towels on the rack. Happy and content as she had never been she spent much time fixing up. Knowing it hopeless to fix her hair and keep it pretty she set to curling and pinning it up into a fetching style. It would go stunning with the dress she had chosen to wear. She also added a little paint to her face, just enough to bring out her blue eyes and her smiling lips. Looking at herself in the looking glass Alice was pleased with the results. Mirana would not be able to accuse her of not caring about her appearance.

Leaving the room to glide down the halls she stopped to peer over the banister down into the main hall of the large castle. It was alive with hurrying and scurrying, to and fro of inhabitants. She laid one arm across the rail and rested her head on the other. They were very like little ants scurrying around for queen and colony, and so lost in these thoughts she became that she didn't hear the man approach behind her. When he leaned around and kissed her sweetly on her cheek she startled slightly before beaming at him.

"Mr. Hightopp how are you this morning?" She asked with all propriety available to her, knowing full well her visage was painted scarlet, even though he was the only one there.

A smile of his own did little to sooth her, quite contrarily it had her blushing harder bringing thoughts of his smiles last night.. "Quite well Ms. Kingsley, Thank you. And yourself?"

"I would have been wonderful. However I awoke quite alone. You left." Her eyes looked sadly into his sparkling green ones. In a flourish of color he pulled from behind him a bouquet of flowers of all colors. "My apologies love. However I couldn't have the castle finding us in such intimate circumstances, for your sake. It was with a heavy heart I left your side. I hope my gift as well as my apologies will be accepted."

Looking closely at the flowers she saw they were in fact made of tea bags, wrappers, and such folded intricately into stunning roses. Accepting the gift with marveling eyes she blinked twice before answering his enquiry. "Quite." Her smile was demure and absorbed his attention. A difficult task indeed.

He offered his arm to her and she shook her head, running back into her rooms. He frowned slightly and peered in the open door to watch her. She found a vase and put the flower arrangement in it on the entrance table. Dashing back out she wrapped her arms around his still offered one. "Shall we?"

"We shall." walking down the stairs linked as they were would seem difficult in thought but the couple glided easily on their way.

"And where dear sir are we headed?" she batted her lashes coyly at him causing his breath to stop momentarily.

"I thought we could speak with The Queen. Ask her to marry us as quickly as possible."

Alice smiled softly at the thought of being the Hatter's wife, letting her mind wander down pleasant and domestic avenues.

"In a hurry are we Mr. Hightopp?"

This drew a chuckle from his magenta lips and he nodded. "I intend to do proper and good by you Alice." His green eyes darkened. "I'm so very sorry for my impropriety last night. Frightful manners that."

Startled she pulled their progress up short. "That was a joint decision Tarrant." His heart flared at hearing his given name fall from her lips again. "Please don't ever apologize for last night." So enamored of her and her statement he leaned down and against all that was proper yet again he claimed her lips with his own. It was a quick sweet moment and as fast as he hand bent down to her he was gone again, leading her down the stairs. Her eyes glassed over slightly she could only follow him. "Never again." He promised simply.

Reaching the bottom of the stairway the couple went to seek out their friend the White Queen. Finding her was hardly a problem in the early morning hours, she was gliding among her flowers watering and misting them in delicate feminine movements. Glancing up from speaking sweetly to an orchid of some sort she smiled warmly at Alice and Tarrant. Her sharp eyes took in their embrace as well as the ostentatious ring on the young woman's left hand. "Well now what do we have here? Welcome my dear friends, what news do you bring me?" Lifting one dark brow she glanced between the two of them.

"We're to be married. I asked for her hand and she has accepted my offer. We were wondering if you would perform the ceremony? And how quickly could you do so.." He beamed, as did Alice, though she gazed cautiously at the flowers. Snarky petaled things that had verbally assaulted her more then once. None of these seem to speak at all she noticed.

Clasping her hands in front of her Mirana smiled and floated toward them hugging them in turn. "You can rest assured I will and most swiftly!" Her smile was knowing and happy, if not a bit relieved. That was a bit odd, if you asked Alice.

In fact much of what Mirana said and did was odd as of her return. Pair that with what Chessure had said this morning and it seemed the two women had things to discuss. Patting Tarrant's arm gently she smiled up at him. "Would you mind giving us a bit of girl time? I'd like to discuss plans with her." Nodding he smiled "I'll leave you two to it then." He left the room swiftly, it seemed with plans of his own to put into place, but knowing him it could quite easily been to get a cup of tea.

"I'm very excited for the two of you." She beamed from her dark lips of hers and Alice softened. "He is very dear to me, your hatter, Alice."

Quirking an eyebrow at the other woman. "Oh?"

Mirana nodded. "He saved me on Horevendush day, whisked me away to safety, and it cost him his family, quite possibly. He has fought by me or for me since."

Eyes misted over Alice couldn't help but ask. "What was he like before that day, when he was surrounded by family?"

Caressing a flower gently she didn't look at the other woman. "Much the same as he is with you, Happy, Mad, full of life. Then he didn't' have a temper, he'd never slain a thing, he wasn't touched by anger and loneliness. I'm just happy you've given him back some peace."

"I intend to give him more then just some peace. I want to make him happy."She glanced at the white queen who nodded.

"I have no doubts."

"I wonder, if he is so dear to you and done so much good service why haven't you rewarded him?" It was the blonde's turn to lift and inquiring brow.

"Could you truly see him as a knight?" The countered question brought a laugh from Alice.

"I did, on Frabjous day I did. He stood sword in hand prepared to fight that monster though he knew he would fail."

"As typical of you Alice you are blunt and correct. I'll rectify my dereliction in duty faster then even your wedding... I'm so glad you are back, and that you were able to bring him around."

"about that as well..." Looking at the Queen she squared her shoulders. "Chess told me who poisoned him. It was your sister. I thought you should know that once I find a way to prove it, I intend to ask for her head...Or take it myself."

If it were possible Mirana grew paler and her mouth worked to form words that didn't come for quite some time. Alice just waited patiently. When words found the queen again it was in a very soft, pleading voice.

"If I were to ask you to spare her life...Would you?"

Alice looked down at the silent flowers. "All that you've given me, all that I owe you, and still I couldn't give you that."


	13. Chapter 13

"If I were to ask you to spare her life...Would you?"

Alice looked down at the silent flowers. "All that you've given me, all that I owe you, and still I couldn't give you that."

Mirana held her hands out to implore Alice for mercy, but Alice frowned. "You ask too much. She has threatened your people long enough! Her reign of terror must stop."

"And how do you plan on achieving this? The vorpal sword will not aid you in revenge and she still has Stayne in her service." brown eyes begged cornflower blue to see reason.

Alice shook her head, feeling her blond curls falling from their posts in her elegant style. "There are other ways. Frankly I didn't think the last time we saw the knave he was pleased with his service to the past queen." Placing her hands on her hips and staring at the ground Alice contemplated. Ice flowed in her veins as she looked back at the queen. "Now I must ask you a favor. Tell me you didn't know that she had a hand in this." Tears danced still held back. "Please tell me you didn't know and did nothing!"

Face blanked in shock for it took Mirana a moment to realize what Alice thought. She shook her head vigorously "No, Heavens No!" playing with her fingers she glanced at the ground and back up to Alice's searching gaze. "I didn't know...I had my fears, my educated guesses. But my friend please understand that she is my sister. To say I despise her actions isn't severe enough. One could only hope that she will one day come around. How could I demand my own sisters head? I've had not one execution since my crown was restored!"

Nodding as she listened though not in assent her brows still pressed together. "Has it crossed your mind that perhaps you should have one? Banishment from Underland hasn't even Impeded her!" She wiped her hands through the air. "Lets have the end of this for now. We both know where we stand. What is more pressing at this time is the wedding. I don't know the customs of this realm with such ceremonies and I want to make Tarrant happy. I was thinking a small affair perhaps at Thackary's old tea party site?"

Mirana marveled at Alice's change of subject so suddenly. Perhaps the girl would be able to keep up with Tarrants flights of thought better then one would presume. "I'm sure it isn't much different from your own weddings. And while I love the idea of a small gathering of friends, once he is made a titled member of the court his wedding will be a public affair...Don't frown so my dear! You will make such a beautiful bride he will want to show you off! We'll have it in the willow forest with the castle as the backdrop. It'll be lovely."

Shrugging and flicking her hair out of her face Alice decided that perhaps it was best to let Mirana handle most of the arrangements. "I don't suppose there is someone besides my fiance who could make a wedding and knighting ceremony dress is there?" This drew a peal of laughter from the queen, it cleared most of the tension from the room.

"While the Hatter is the most skilled of artisans ever, and he captures you so well in his works, I do have amazingly skilled dress makers as well. I will have them call on you as soon as possible my dear. Now go and enjoy your brief engagement. Do try to be proper though will you?" she winked and floated suddenly from the room, leaving Alice to blush and wander from the room after her.

Back in her chamber Alice fidgeted with her tresses in frustration, trying the impossible task of taming them. She fussed and fretted and finally slumped into a chair. So much to plan, so much to do and she couldn't even tame her hair. And so little time...Time...Had there been enough time for Tarrant to be sure he wanted her? Would he change his mind when she was no longer the girl of muchness but his sweet wife making his tea?

Such idle and self defeating musings must haunt all brides, at least she hoped so. After all Tarrant had waited all this time for her, Ten years of her time so heavens only knew how long in Underland. She couldn't doubt his affection for her. He had even broken the rules of battle to aid her against the jabberwocky that one fateful day. Frustrated yet again she tossed the silver hair brush to the vanity and glared at her reflection. She had run away from the dull promises of marriage ages ago, however she doubted the humdrum of life with Hamish would compare to the joy she expected with Tarrant. Why even thinking his name sent shivers up her spine at remembered embraces and smiles from the previous evening. His dexterous fingers had loosed her hair from it's bindings and pins and ran through it as it fell in curling waves around her. Strong hard hands from years of working, but so gentle as they touched and caressed her skin.

Giving into the daydream fully she rested her head in her hand as her gaze lost sight of the ornate mirror and her reflections and looked back in time to her first night with The Hatter. His lips were as sweet as the cherry's they seem stained by as they lighted in various places leaving soft kisses here and there. Then they would be at her ear, whispering how beautiful she was, how much he loved her, and what he planned to do to her next. His voice had been an intoxicating mix of his calm sweet lilt and the gruffness of passion. For in that night he hadn't been the Mad Hatter at all. He had been Tarrant Hightopp, with not one title or assumption to live up to.

She had strived to give back all the joy he had given her, but to be honest she doubted that was possible, for even in her embraces and touches of his skin she felt electric sparks of warm happiness. It seemed to her she had been nearly intoxicated with him.

"Oh Tarrant, how I love you..." the whisper fell out of her present lips as easily as it had in her daydreamed one.

"Well I should certainly hope so Ms. Kingsliegh." She spun in surprise,though she could have merely looked in the mirror to take in her Knight in madman's clothing.

"Do you plan to make startling me and on going thing, Mr. Hightopp?" She smiled and ran to his arms that gathered her to him sweetly, a thimble guarded finger twirled in her tresses.

"I'd like to think that eventually you'll stop being surprised that I'm never far from you." He laughed giddily and smiled his wide smile.

Caught up in his laugh hers lilted out to dance within the tones that floated in the air and she snuggled into his chest. She felt in the warmth that flowed from him, heard his heart beating as it sped up, and took the sweet smell that was so him. It was a combination of many things she could guess: tea, honey, roses, musk... then there were element she didn't know, but that didn't matter at all. They all flowed and combined to combine and create that warm smell of him.

"I hope you'll forgive the intrusion my love. But it seems you are late for dinner...um.. You see the queen is holding a banquet." Now that she looked at him she did notice he was in one of his finer though just as wild frocks.

"Heavens, I must have daydreamed right through the announcement! Well I'd better hurry hadn't I?" She pulled back from the hatter to see a couple of footmen at the door. She allowed an internal groan at the propriety of the Victorian age. "I won't be long."

"I shant move." He smiled at her and froze in the same pose he had been in. Arms as if they were just about to relinquish her. She giggled and reached up to give him a quick but chaste kiss on the cheek. True to his word he didn't move, but a lovely flush of rose painted his countenance as swiftly as she danced away to make herself presentable.


	14. Chapter 14

It didn't take long for Alice to slip into some fancy dress and add a sting of pearls around her throat. Allowing herself a cursory glance in the long dressing mirror she darted back to her quarter's entrance way where Tarrant and the two footmen waited. In a very gentlemanly fashion the red haired hatter offered his arm and she took it to be led to one of the most over the top banquets her eyes had ever beheld.

There were no animals on the table to be served which was quite comforting in this world as they all talked. It was all fruits grains and vegetables and frankly if one of those haughty talking flowers that had once called her a weed had graced the table she wouldn't have been past making a meal of it's beloved petals in a salad. There were hundreds of silver candelabras with white and silver candles dripping wax down the sides, all draped with crystals and beads that added even more drama. The settings were white and silver with heavy silver chargers and steel blue napkins. The service settings were all placed in grand alignment and had far too many pieces to be necessary. While the grand scene was the first thing she took in the heavy silence was the next. Alerting her to the fact the whole hall had been awaiting her arrival and was studying her and her new and apparently announced fiance.

Her happy flush drained swiftly leaving her a delicate shade near that of a pearl and she swayed softly at the hatters side. His grip on her changed deftly allowing him to place a steadying hand on the small of her back and hold her hand to guide her to their seats. Pulling out her chair and allowing her to sit he leaned down as he pushed her up to the table.

"Perhaps it would be advantageous to breath, No?"

Nodding she took in a lungful of air and glanced to Mirana at the head of the same long table they sat at. She looked more magnificent then Alice could remember seeing her. She was grace and charm in a white lace ball gown that would make any woman swoon. Her hair was in plaits that pulled back from her fair face and dark brown eyes and then flowed down her back with the silver and blue crown gracing her noble head. The encouraging smile that looked back at her calmed her immensely, as did her Hatter taking his seat and resting a reassuring hand on her knee, hidden by the long table cloths.

Now that all the guests were accounted for Mirana picked up an ornate silver and crystal bell and rang it. From doors to the kitchens sprang lines of servers with soups salads and such to be placed in front of each person. They moved in pace and never managed to get in each others way. More then she would like to admit she was glad when a wine goblet was filled for her and she could allow the soft sweet liquid to flow into her.

The dinner was uneventful aside from people passing down their congratulations on the engagement as well as frequent thanks for her previous deeds in the realm. She nodded and accepted them all, a soft glow in her visage. Tarrant was chatting to a random courtier about how lucky he was to have gained her hand and how he really should come buy to see what they could do for a grander hat then the one the man was wearing tonight. Smiling at him she wondered how many hats he would be making after this night.

After the array of sweet desserts was out and it seemed everyone was reaching their fill, and thinking thoughts of retiring. The queen took a silver spoon and tapped a crystal goblet to announce her wish to speak.

"My dear friends and members of Underland, Thank you for attending tonight as we celebrate the engagement of our dear friends Mr. Hightopp and Miss. Kingsleigh. You are all aware of how dear these two are to me and the deeds they have done for our kingdom. So tonight I wish to grant our dear hatter the Honor is has earned more then once from his service. Let it be known that Master Tarrant Hightopp will at this time next week be given title and asked into the White Guard.

So before you take your leave of our presence please congratulate he and his betrothed and prepare for festivities that this realm has long enough been with out ."

She smiled and raised her glass to the air where many joined hers in a round of "Callooh! Callay!" and the couple lifted theirs in response to drink with their friends.

After the departure of all; Tarrant walked Alice back to her rooms. Walking arm in arm with her leaning on him a bit for balance. In front of the large white doors he spun her in a graceful twirl and brought her face to face with him...minus a few inches height difference. "Well that was unexpected." He giggled as she leaned in to hug him tight.

"It was well deserved."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Hightopps have always answered the call for the true leaders of the land"

His nonchalance at his previous heroics amazed her and made her love him all the more. She stretched up on tip toe to kiss his smiling lips, as if she couldn't stop herself.

"Alice! We must not loose our heads again!" She didn't miss the fact the small admonishment didn't come till after their lips parted company. Laughing coyly she politely looked away to appear chastened.

Apparently to much so because he pulled her tightly into his chest to comfort her. "I can't risk your reputation again." Nodding against him she reveled in his embrace and felt giddy. When he loosed his hold on her she slightly lost her balance.

"Oh sorry! Too much frivolity tonight I suspect" It was a silly excuse, the fact was she was utterly intoxicated by him, and lost in indecent thoughts.

"Well I can't have you twisting a delicate little ankle getting settled now can I? How about I see you safely in and have some tea with you."

"That would be lovely." Speaking the words and hoping she had a tea set somewhere in that conglomerate of rooms. Truth be told she hadn't even looked through them all.

While she got out of the grand dress she had worn to the banquette the Hatter managed to procure a tea set and make an intimate little setting for the two by the fire. Conforming to propriety he had slid a small table and two chairs up to the warmth and made sure the chairs were on exact opposite sides of the table. When she appeared in a lavender dressing gown he all but gasped.

Her hair was loose and wild as it had been before, falling in waves that begged to be tangled around his fingers. The soft color made her blue eyes dance in the light from the fire and while she was covered from neck to toe, he couldn't help but remember her skin warm and soft under his own. Swallowing hard in an attempt to shoo such thoughts he caught her attention fully.

She smiled at him and tucked her hair behind her ears, in a demure way and took her seat at the table. In hurried motions he mirrored her and served her tea with two sugar cubes and a dash of milk. Just the way she liked it.

Preparing his own half heartedly he watched as she smelled the tea before sipping the hot amber liquid. Nearly causing him to spill his own.

"It was a lovely evening wasn't it? The only disappointment was there was no dancing."

Nodding he drank as well. "Aye, though I didn't know you were much on dancing..."

"Well I could never hope to keep up to your futterwacken, love, but I do enjoy a turn or two on the floor."

Inspired he jumped from the table, bowed his head, and held out an offered hand. Without missing a beat or feigning embarrassment like most girls she took his hand and flowed with him into the center of the room.

There wasn't any music aside from what played in his head, but Alice was light on her feet and followed his lead in grand circles. The started in a stiff and formal waltz embrace that slowly melted into something much closer and more intimate.

It was natural as melting ice and not planned at all. Somehow their bodies found the embrace they fit into so well as they swayed to a silent tune. The large flowing steps slowed into small circles and they spun, till their eyes found each other and then fell into their own little world. He couldn't help himself when he leaned down to claim her rose colored lips. Then his hands sought to bring her closer and run through her hair. She was warm and sweet and he needed her.

There wasn't a bit of fight in Alice. She clung to his broad shoulders and kissed him back deeply. When he drew back slightly she sighed "Please don't stop." And that was it. For Tarrant could never refuse his Alice.

She was lifted from the ground and sat on the table as he kissed down her neck. Her own hands undid the belted sash at her waist allowing her robe to open and reveal soft white gown that was next to nothing.

Crushing her to him as he kissed down to the hollow of her throat his free hand reached up to cup her full breast and play at it's soft rosy tip. Her breath caught for a moment before speeding up.

"Heavens how I love you" He whispered in her ear when he reached it after kissing back up her neck. "And I you." She responded before turning to press her lips to his.

Her small hands raked at his shirt front and vest to find and banish buttons and lay his skin out for her attentions. The pale and freckled skin glowed in the fire light and her lips couldn't resist decorating it in her kisses.

Fighting the clothes off of his back as she kissed him and her hands pulled him closer clawing his back he nearly melted to the floor when he felt her teeth play softly at his flesh before giving a small nip. "Alice..."

The thin white gown didn't stand a chance as he made quick work of it. "I'm so sorry...so...sorry..." He gasped between breaths as he kissed down her throat again before taking one soft pointed nipple into his mouth. Her backed bowed as lightning rand down her spine causing her to press more fully into him. Clutching her with one arm his other hand slid down to find lace blocking her entrance. Again her garments would not cause him to stop. They were gone before either of them knew what happened to them. Then the warm strong hands brushed the length of her slit. Her breaths turned to gasps as his finger ran small circles around the small flesh above her opening , and his mouth teased and caressed her nipples, first one then the other.

All reason and thought was gone from the lust ridden lovers. Alice writhed under the Hatter's attentions hips rolling in time to his caresses and legs open and somehow finding their way around him to pull her to him. The erotic movements of her body was pushing him too far yet again. Tarrant pulled away from her breasts to try and stop before they went over the edge but Alice's face left him prisoner to their passion.

She was flushed in a delicate pink across her cheeks and her eyes glistened like the moon reflected in the waves of blue oceans. Again her hair was wild and tumbling around her to frame not only her face but her breasts. "I can't stop." He whispered and kissed her yet again.

"Don't" was all she could manage as a reply. Both their hands grappled with his trousers, before his finally found the way to remove them. Then there was only opportunity and he couldn't help but take it. Tarrant pulled Alice to the edge of the table and wrapped her long legs around him. Swollen and strong his member reached toward her warmth and he allowed it to rub up and down before finding his harbor.

When he entered her this time it was slow and careful, Alice wouldn't have this though. Her body begged him to go farther, begged him to make love to her like no man ever had a woman before. The soft velvet walls gripped and pulled at him as she pulled herself closer to him. The sensation was so intense Tarrant had to lean on the table for balance, tweaking the angle just enough that he pressed even farther in. He pulled back then pressed back in, sliding against her tight opening and hearing her moan his name. "Tarrant...Ohhh Tarrant...Yess!"

She was an active participant. She moved in sync with his movements and her nails ran down his back, as she gripped him. He was so close to his fulfillment but he couldn't let it end. His Alice would be worshiped, and brought to her heights many times before he would allow himself to finish.

Pressing her back to the table he pulled her legs from around his waist and as he sank to his knees placed them over his shoulders. Innocent Alice had no idea what joys awaited her, until his mouth found her most sensitive little area. His hands had been amazing to her little bud but now his lips working it brought her to her first orgasm. Her breath caught as light and heat flooded her system and rushed to her brain. The red haired man moved his mouth down just enough that he could take in her release.

The soft spot was not to be left alone though, again one of his loving hands came and rubbed the soft circles that grew more and more deliberate as she danced under him. He drank her honey and allowed his tongue to dance in and out of her warmth. As she quieted he moved his mouth back up and exchanged two fingers below. Pressing up against the top of her and moving in sure pressured caresses.

It didn't take much time for her to feel the tides of passion building again. She didn't have the energy to fight it back, nor did she want to. When she came again Tarrant was so entranced that he couldn't wait any longer to join her. He reclaimed his positioning and pushed his throbbing manhood into her. His passion wouldn't be supported by the delicate table so he gathered her to him and let her work over his strong form.

Her legs wrapped around him to keep her from falling as much as his grip on her bottom. When her walls started to dance and pull at him again he was to moved to stop. Thrusts that were fast and fierce pressed his staff into her until his seed sped forth to fill her and her most intense climax shook her in his embrace. Leaving her soft and exhausted in his arms to be taken to bed and laid down to sleep.

He mistook her calm breaths for slumber though for as he turned to leave she called to him. "Tarrant, love, don't leave me."

Ashamed of himself he looked away. "I can't be trusted with you alone Alice..." Surprise took him when she giggled at him. "My little doll you don't understand. I want to protect you from all the evils and depravities of the world... and then I want to claim you in every way possible and never let you leave my embrace! Then I inflict those depravities on you myself...I could hurt you!"

Shaking her head she smiled sleepily at her wild fiance. "I don't need protecting from you Tarrant. Come and stay with me, for I never want you to leave my side."

His fears that he had hurt her melted and again he gave into her request. He climbed into the bed and pulled her to him. She rested her head upon his chest and listened to his breath and heat beat and they drifted off to sleep knowing that their dreams couldn't be any sweeter then reality tonight.


	15. Chapter 15

AIW Ch 15-

Mornings had never been Alice's cup of tea. She woke looking frazzled and grumpy usually, and it wasn't wise to speak to her until she had managed to procure a cup of British breakfast. Then again the earlier she arose the worse it was... So when an insistent rapping at her chamber's entrance echoed through the rooms to her sleeping ears, it was ignored. Once, twice, and a third, time. At last the blond head stirred slightly and issued a groan. Her arm again flailed out to find that Tarrant had disappeared with the night. The best part about their upcoming nuptials was that the sneaking around would be at an end. Why she had heard from a seamstress about no less then 6 couples that were known to be in flagrant and passionate relationships out of wedlock. Of course the crazy wild hatter would be a proper gentleman, she groaned again. Another round of tapping came through, and she realized there was no help for it she would have to get up and answer the perpetrator.

Half tumbling out of bed her bare feet caught purchase and found the cold marble floor. It drew a shrill squeak from her and sent her back up onto the covers. There was a pair of slippers somewhere wasn't there? Oh yes there they were, strewn across the room from being hurled at Chessure at one point or another. "Damn it all and that retched cat too..." she cursed under the breath.

Silently she chastened herself. Clearly she had spent to much time around men on ships, a Lady should never utter such language even in her own private space. With a loud sigh she braved the cold ground to procure her slippers and then a blue robe with elegant stitching that pooled lightly around her feet and left a small train behind. No doubt another gift from the Hatter, as nearly everything he did for her was the same soft cool blue.

Her initial greeting for the knocker was changed when she found that it was her friend Mctwisp at her door. She knelt down to her knees to be as close to eye level with the little page as was comfortable.

"Ms. Kingsliegh you needn't do such things, you are a Lady of the court..." his voice cut off when she put a finger across his little twitchy lips.

"First off my friend, for you it's Alice, always and forever forth. Secondly I haven't seen you since all the unpleasant times when I first got here...May I give you a hug, and thank you for getting me and helping me bring The Hatter back?"

The white rabbit trembled slightly and looked too and fro, whether for and escape or an answer one couldn't know. "I...I did...I didn't really do that much Ms..." His words caught as yet again Alice silenced him but with a hug, pulling his jumpy little form into her warm embrace.

When she released him he held a small smile and his ears relaxed slightly. Smiling at him she stood back up and waved him in. "What brought you my way today Mctwisp?" Stopping in front of her sitting room's large mirror she saw what a fit state her hair was in and started trying to smooth it down with her hands.

"It's actually more then a social call Ms...Um I mean Alice...The queen is having a garden party this evening for some of the women of the court. She was hopeful that you would be able to attend. It starts at 3, and will be a tea party." He hopped around her a little as he spoke and she worked with her hair.

"A tea party with no Hatter or March Hare? Why that sounds rather odd and pleasant at the same time." She couldn't help but giggle at the thought of a tea party with no hurled cups or demands to move down. Then again, it sounded threateningly like a tea party from home were propriety and snobbery were the main events. This drew another sigh out of her.

"Don't fret so Alice, this is Underland after all... I'm sure you'll find some way to pass your time enjoyably." The hopeful smile he gave melted her heart enough that she didn't really care if she found some interesting moment in the tea or not. She would enjoy herself just because she was with Mirana and because the sweet little rabbit hoped she would.

Shaking her head softly with a smile she looked at his reflection in the mirror to speak to him. "Ok ok. You win. Tell the queen I am thrilled to accept her invitation. I'd better start getting ready now if I'm to look fit to sit amongst so many stately women."

Twitching his nose and looking uncertain the rabbit reached up tentatively and tugged on her robe, calling her attention down to his large pink eyes. "If I may Alice, I'd just like to tell you that you won't have a problem there. You are a very pretty woman, no matter what those irritating flowers may say."

The compliment coming from so shy a creature at Mctwisp touched Alice's heart and earned him another hug. "Thank you my friend." was all she could say to him.

The two said their temporary farewells, he to bound down the halls of the castle to invite any number of other ladies, and Alice to attempt to make herself look the part of a member of the court of Marmorial.

The tea party, while not as boring as one in the abovelands, was painfully dull without the lively characters of the March Hare, and the Mad Hatter. Alice drifted in and out of conversations with more unknown faces then familiar, and Mirana was always preoccupied with some other lady in pale colors.

She couldn't help but play with and smooth her own dress now and again. It was the closest thing she had in her rooms to the white and silvers and blushes that most wore in the White Queen's land. It was a soft pale blue, reached to the floor to hide any abandoned hosiery, and had boning sewn into the bodice to negate the need for a corset. She was learning quickly that blue was to be her signature color.

Around her cinched waste however was a new gift from the queen, one that puzzled her a bit. It was a beautifully wrought silver and blue leather belt, that looked like something that would decorate the White Knight's armour. Hanging from the side of it was a dagger that looked very much like the vorpal sword had been shrunk and made into a smaller weapon. If Alice had to guess, she would say this was the Queen's way of letting her know she was still the White Knight. Not wanting to upset Mirana she had fiddled and donned the elegant weapon. Though she found it odd that it would be given to her to wear to a tea party...

Absent minded fingers now danced and caressed the scabbard for the dagger as Alice greeted and spoke to a group of ladies she wandered close to. "Hello, how are you?" she waited for replies and nodded her head now and then to feign interest, until she saw that Mirana was momentarily free from any one else. Giving a polite excuse and dodging away from the ladies, the blond made a b-line for the queen.

Not 20 paces away though and trouble loomed it's head. A woman with long wavy black hair and dead of night eyes intercepted her, with a bright silver fan waving airily around her person. "Well if it isn't the little hero turned paupers wife Alice..." She had caught Alice completely off guard and received only a stunned shake of the head and confused blink for her trouble. "Don't play sweet and innocent with me, girl. Not all of us appreciate the way you move through the crowd like you deserve all this glory and attention. Marrying that insane clown of a man is just what you deserve."

Under normal circumstances Alice would have just walked past the woman, unconcerned. She didn't know this woman from Eve, however something about the raven haired lady set off alarms in Alice. She should be wary of this one. "Just what exactly do you mean by this outburst?" Attention was dawning on this encounter at a frightening rate, but she couldn't walk away.

"What I mean you little wench is that the sword did all the work. Add to that the fact you are to wed The Hatter, and well my dear, you are a servants betrothed. Not one to be treating the aristocracy as equals. Oh my have I made you Mad?"

Crimson flooded the younger woman's vision that mirrored the angry flush of anger painting her fair skin. "YOU DIR..." her rebuttal was stopped before it was truly even started by non other then Mirana herself.

"Is there a problem here, Staline?" her face was blank and seemingly passive but her voice was heavy and the words meaning was clear as glass.

Bowing low and working the laced fan demurely in front of her face 'Staline' begged her Highness's pardon. Further inciting Alice's wrath. It was pure wisdom when the Queen drew the wrathful form away toward the Flower Garden.

"Who the Bloody He... Who is that wretched slurvsih..." A pale hand quickly covered her mouth and didn't release until they had reached the silvery white rose bush maze. Not at all chastened Alice's brows furrowed in and intense frown that did not leave, even after she was released.

"Shhh Alice. This is not something you need to continue!" Mirana's eyes were large and serious as she attempted to admonish her champion.

"Have you gone around the bend?! Did you not see that..that... HARPY block my path and then talk to me like...like.. well I don't even know what.." Blue eyes were hard and cold as ice blocks in spite of the raging heat of her temper.

Nodding sympathetically the Queen glanced down to the grass and stems of the ground as if looking for something to help her explain. "You haven't been long in our world much less our court, dearest Alice. Even with this peace and the loss of Iracebeth's power struggle, court politics still exist and they never will cease." She walked in absent minded circles as she talked and chanced a glance up into the blue clad woman's eyes. They were calmer and less antagonistic towards her now. It was unnerving though how Alice would just stare at you silently waiting for you to explain things... It was almost predatory. For the first time the White Queen wondered just what Alice had been through and experienced during her long absence from Underland.

"Lady Staline is a very strong, very powerful courtier. It's best you stay out of her way and out of her target hairs." It seemed Alice wasn't satisfied with the explanation. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg and cocked her head to the side. A flick of the eyes was a clear sign to 'go on'. " Mirana groaned inwardly... She wasn't going to like telling her this any more then her friend was going to like hearing it. "Long story short?" Well at least now she got a nod..that was some sort of communication. "Did you never wonder how Ilosovic, became the powerful Knave? Or so close to Iracebeth, the acting Queen?" Now a shaking of the head to the negative.

Taking a deep breath and balling her fists up into small dainty fists the Queen plunged on. "The Stayne family is a very ancient and powerful family. They are always among descenders, and nearly always the leaders of such movements..."

"Wait! You mean to tell me that that woman is related to the Knave? What is she his sister?!" The explosion flowed hot out of Alice.

"Close enough.. She is his 1st cousin. They grew up together." The icy stare that met her now caused her to play with her long white hair. Tucking it behind her ear nervously.

Alice looked down toward the ground and then cut her eyes up to Mirana. Her voice was less in volume now and eerily even. "And she is in your court? Invited to one of your parties for your friends?"

Nodding the Queen tried to explain. "We all grew up together Alice. I can't hurl her out of society because of the actions of her cousin. Even if I could a fair number of the aristocracy wouldn't allow it. I have to play by the rules Alice. Being Queen doesn't bring unconditional loyalty and absolute control. There are eons worth of practices and plays to follow."

Nose wrinkled up in disgust the other woman shook her head. "And to think I ever called this place 'Wonderland'. "

"Don't be like this Alice. My court is one of the most peaceful ever thanks to you! So there are a few squabble makers to play games with... Is that such a terrible price for peace among the land?"

"I'm not sure Mirana... But let me ask you this. Does she blame me for the fortune handed to her cousin?"

Mirana nodded now. "She never left this court for the Red court but she was invited numerous times. And she wasn't happy when Ilosovic was banished. She feels that he was merely following his Liege's orders and should have been spared such a fate as well as death."

Flicking her hair over her shoulder and pinching the bridge of her nose against a headache Alice asked two more questions. "Do I need to fear her? And could she have been the one to poison Tarrant?"

Shrugging was not a very queenly thing to do, but now Mirana seemed deflated and less like she cared about appearances. "I doubt seriously she will perpetrate or organize you any physical harm. You're still the White Knight and the saviour of Underland. She may try to thwart any political movements you try to make though...Maybe Tarrant's as well. She was never fond of the Hightopp clan... She looks dreadful in hats you see. She is so elongated and her features so sharp.."

Sighing loudly Alice now shrugged her own shoulders. "Great... though I'll be honest I don't really wish to be a political power at all. Oh by the way, this dagger...Care to explain while you are on a role?" she smiled at her friend now.

Glad for the change of subject Mirana nodded. " I had it made for you. It's best that you keep some way of protecting yourself. Especially now that we know there has been an attempt on Tarrant's life. With you being back, you are a far more likely target."

Nodding solemnly the fair girl ran her hand over the ornate scabbard again. "Well thank you Mirana. It truly is lovely."  
>"You're welcome my friend. But it is powerful as well. Not so much as the Vorpal sword, mind you, but it is enchanted. It can pierce any armour or shield, well anything really, to strike true. Keep that in mind will you?"<p>

"You can be sure. Thank you again. Do you mind if I veer out of this party and take a walk though the maze to gather my thoughts... There has been so much to take in these few weeks, and there is my impending nuptials."

Smiling broadly Mirana gave her consent. "Yes go spend a few quiet moments alone. I know they are few and far between for you here." she winked, and a blush flew across Alice's countenance at the realization that her friend knew!

"Oh Mirana I'm so Sorry!"

"Pssh do not even apologize to me! I only know because I tried to call late one night to check on the hatter and he wasn't in his quarters. I'm happy for you two, and no one else knows. Go enjoy a few moments peace, I have to go back to the fracas." She rolled her brown eyes and turned to join the tea party again.

It was so quiet in the green leaves decorated with delicate white roses, that you could hear little creatures scurrying around and crickets chirping happily. Alice couldn't help but wonder if the little creatures moving under the bushes were freed hedgehogs from the Red Queen's crochet games. She had seen a number of flamingos around since her arrival, it seemed the castle here had even cooled their bright plumage, as it seemed a softer shade of pink now.

Her minds wanderings were disorienting to the concept of time, she had no idea how long she had been in the maze when she heard a sharp and clear 'crack' of a stick breaking. "What the.." she breathed the words to herself and pressed against the wall of the maze. Her inner female winced at the thought of what the roses's thorns would do to the silk of her beautiful dress, while the main force of her mind tried to hide her as much as possible.

There were footsteps coming her way, though she couldn't be sure she thought they were from the opposite end of the maze from the Queen's garden party. The steps were so soft, so hard to hear but they were coming her way.

She reached down and slid the dagger out of its sheath as quietly as she could, wincing at the small sounds the metal made against the oiled but not broken in leather of it. /please don't hear me, please don't hear me/ she chanted silently under her breath. The other person was right around the edge of the wall Alice leaned against.

It was impossible for her to tell who's breath she heard now, her own was coming in fast gulps that she had no control over. A shadow stretched her way from the setting sun behind the other maze walker... She raised the dagger and waited for the form to follow.


End file.
